What do you think is characteristic of a Swedish workplace?
- Most workplaces I've worked at have had an open-plan office layout where there's a lot of chatting between colleagues.
How do you think one best fits in at a workplace?
- The first thing I would do is to get a feel for how much chatting goes on, whether colleagues ask each other a lot of questions, and whether they talk about things other than work. This can vary between workplaces, but the general feeling is that there's a relaxed atmosphere where people discuss both work and personal matters like family and leisure activities.
How important is it to greet people when you arrive and leave?
- I'd say it's very important to say good morning when you arrive and goodbye when you leave. This is without being too loud or disturbing others. It's considered impolite not to greet people at all.
Breaks at work?
- Taking breaks, such as coffee breaks, is part of the working day. Normally, you should be able to take a 5-minute break per hour without any issues. However, if you have a manual job where it's difficult to take breaks, it's different. But in an office, taking a 5-minute break per hour is not unusual.
Lunches and eating together?
- Many workplaces have a communal lunch area where you can eat food you've brought from home. It varies whether colleagues bring their lunch or eat out. Regardless of what you choose, it can be good to eat with colleagues instead of sitting at your screen and eating.
Leaving earlier than colleagues, how should you think?
- It's normal for those with children to need to pick them up from school or nursery, or for children to have other activities that require parents to leave earlier. At many workplaces, the schedule is flexible, as long as you have a routine to make up for lost worktime. This is important to discuss with your manager, so the routine is set from the start.
We at Sweden Herald thank Johan for the interview.
