Workplace provides opportunities for employees to mingle with colleagues during work time.
In recent years, many companies are increasingly focusing on occupational health promotion, with workshops, team events, and flexible working hours being common practices. However, a unique initiative to combat loneliness and isolation in the workplace is gaining traction in Sweden - the "Friendship Time" project.
The "Friendship Time" project, not a common practice in other countries, is a conscious effort to nurture relationships, combat loneliness, and improve employee health and satisfaction. Employees at the Swedish pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat can spend 15 minutes per week or one hour once a month to meet friends or acquaintances during working hours, paid for by the employer.
This social time is officially considered working time, aiming to improve employee well-being and satisfaction. The idea is in line with a study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, which confirms that social contacts during the workday can reduce stress and increase productivity.
In contrast, Austria, known for its slower lifestyle aspects and social values, does not have officially regulated times for social contacts during working hours. Paid friendship breaks are not yet the norm, and there are no clear indications or recent initiatives in Austria specifically providing paid time during work hours for social contacts, similar to Sweden’s "Friendship Time" project.
However, the Austrian Health Insurance (ÖGK) is currently investigating how social support in the workplace can be specifically improved through a pilot project. Loneliness, considered one of the underestimated health crises of our time, affects about one in six people worldwide.
The debate around workplace social time is not limited to Sweden and Austria. On Reddit, opinions vary. Some users argue that wages should be increased instead of introducing "suspicious measures" like paid friendship breaks. Others praise the "Friendship Time" project, stating it's a great solution for people who don't have energy for social contacts after work. Another user suggests that such meetings should take place outside of working hours to avoid interrupting the workday.
Interestingly, Gen Z seems to favour a return to the office, although the context is unspecified. The study by the Danish Centre for Social Research (SFI) shows that promoting social measures at work has a positive effect on mental health and job satisfaction, suggesting that workplace social interactions could play a significant role in employee well-being.
As the world grapples with the impact of loneliness on health and productivity, initiatives like the "Friendship Time" project and investigations like the one by the Austrian Health Insurance could pave the way for a more balanced and supportive work environment.
- The "Friendship Time" project in Sweden, unique in many countries, is an initiative aiming to improve employee well-being and satisfaction by providing paid time during working hours for social contacts.
- Gen Z evidence suggests a return to the office, with potential benefits for promoting social measures at work and positively impacting mental health and job satisfaction.
- In Austria, while there are no officially regulated times for social contacts during working hours, the Austrian Health Insurance is currently investigating ways to enhance social support in the workplace through a pilot project.
- On social media platforms like Reddit, opinions on workplace social time are divided, with some arguing for increased wages and others praising initiatives like the "Friendship Time" project as beneficial for employees who lack energy for social contacts outside of work.
