Tue, 30 Dec 2025

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 Swedish workers trial 'friendship hour' to combat loneliness

The pilot project is even giving staff free money to help pay to do activities with their friends.
A Swedish pharmacy chain, Apotek Hjärtat, has launched a pilot scheme called "friendcare" which aims to tackle loneliness among its employees. The program allows staff to take paid time off to spend with friends and focus on strengthening relationships during work hours. Participants receive 15 minutes a week or an hour a month to use for social activities and are also given 1,000 kronor ($100; £80) to help pay for friendship-based activities. The initiative is part of Sweden's government efforts to address loneliness, with the country's Health Minister describing it as a major public health concern linked to increased risks of illnesses such as coronary heart disease and strokes. According to research, around 14% of Swedes report feeling lonely some or all of the time. Apotek Hjärtat's CEO Monica Magnusson says the inspiration for the friendcare project comes from a previous collaboration with the mental health charity Mind, which demonstrated how short meaningful conversations between pharmacists and customers could help them feel less isolated. The company has also made online training available to its 4,000 employees across Sweden on recognizing and tackling loneliness. The pharmacy chain is part of a business network called 'Together against involuntary loneliness', initiated by the Health Minister in 2023, which includes around 20 major Nordic brands who meet to share their experiences and strategies for tackling loneliness.
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