In a groundbreaking approach to addressing societal isolation, Swedish pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat has launched an innovative ‘friendcare’ program that provides employees with paid time during work hours to nurture personal relationships. The pilot scheme, which began in April, represents a corporate response to Sweden’s growing loneliness crisis and aligns with the government’s national strategy to minimize social isolation.
Forty-five-year-old pharmacy worker Yasmine Lindberg exemplifies the program’s target demographic. Since separating from her partner four years ago, Lindberg has experienced significant loneliness despite maintaining shared custody of her teenage children. ‘I’m really tired when I go home. I don’t have time or energy to meet my friends,’ she explains while restocking shelves at the Kalmar retail park location where she works shifts.
The friendcare initiative (vänvård in Swedish) grants participants 15 minutes weekly or one hour monthly during working hours specifically dedicated to strengthening social connections. Employees can utilize this time for phone conversations, making social plans via text, or arranging in-person meetings. Additionally, volunteers receive 1,000 kronor ($100) to fund friendship-building activities throughout the year-long trial and access to specialized online training on recognizing and addressing loneliness.
CEO Monica Magnusson reveals the program’s inspiration emerged from previous collaborations with mental health charity Mind, which demonstrated how brief meaningful interactions between pharmacists and customers reduced feelings of isolation. ‘We try and see what the effects are from having the opportunity to spend a bit of time every week on safeguarding your relationships,’ Magnusson explains.
The terminology cleverly plays on Sweden’s existing ‘friskvård’ concept—a tax-free wellness allowance many companies provide for fitness activities—but redirects the focus toward relational health. This corporate initiative coincides with the Swedish government’s heightened attention on loneliness as a public health emergency. Health Minister Jakob Forssmed has characterized loneliness as a major health concern, citing global research linking isolation to increased risks of coronary heart disease, strokes, and premature mortality.
Research indicates approximately 14% of Sweden’s population reports feeling lonely some or all of the time, slightly exceeding the EU average. A 2024 Statistics Sweden study found 8% of Swedish adults lack even a single close friend. Psychologist Daniel Ek, author of ‘The Power of Friendship,’ attributes these statistics to multiple factors including Sweden’s harsh winters, cultural norms that prioritize personal space, and housing patterns where over 40% of homes are single-occupant.
While it’s too early to determine whether Apotek Hjärtat will expand the program company-wide, preliminary self-assessment surveys indicate increased life satisfaction among participants. The pharmacy chain is part of a broader business network called ‘Together against involuntary loneliness’ that includes approximately 20 major Nordic brands such as IKEA and hospitality chain Strawberry, all collaborating to share strategies against social isolation.
Parallel initiatives are emerging across Sweden, including a project in Piteå where 20 businesses offer wellness grants for employees to attend group cultural experiences. While experts acknowledge these programs can lower thresholds for social interaction, they simultaneously call for deeper examination of structural issues like unemployment (currently 8.7%), income inequality, and digital overuse that contribute to Sweden’s loneliness epidemic.