Work at fram^
How Our Scandinavian Heritage Influence The Way We Work At Fram^
We framers are proud of our Swedish heritage. Over the years, we have always valued Scandinavian culture and suit it into our work life. Let’s have a look at some of the Swedish and Scandinavian things we do at fram^.
Respect Personal Space
It is no strange news that Swedes hate small talk. The reason behind this is how you are letting people retain their right to privacy. Not talking to strangers is considered polite as it shows that you are respecting their personal space. This makes social distancing less intolerable for Swedish people during the pandemic. They’ve been keeping their distance from the beginning.
At fram^, we promote this culture by letting people have their own working space (flexible working space). Framers can work at the office, at home or anywhere that suits them. We believe this enables productivity and creativity with their own space.
Call in sick
In many countries, employees are expected to “suck it up” and push through their illness to come to work. Some employees are afraid that they’ll be deemed to be “pulling a sickie”, even when they’re genuinely sick.
In Sweden, “sucking it up” will be considered as irresponsible for both your own health and the health of others. Over the last two years, due to Covid, staying home if you have flu symptoms has become the norm in almost every country, but in Sweden this has been the done thing for some time.
At fram^, we value our employees and won’t put their health at risk. With our flexible remote working policy, employees can work from home or call in sick if they’re not feeling well to avoid infecting the others.
The Scandinavian concepts
Fika
One of the most common Scandinavian concepts, Fika (fee-ka), is Swedish. It means a break in the day for a cup of tea or coffee, or some cake and to recharge. Fika is more than just a break, it is about mindfulness at work, allowing us to be more efficient.
Coffee is always available at the fram^ office for these fika moments. We embrace this concept by allowing employees to have a little break to reset their mind. It is a really great way to boost productivity and creativity. This also applies to those working remotely as they can adapt fika by creating their own cosy workspace.
Sisu
Sisu (see-soo) is a Finnish word meaning to stick with something e.g an idea and see it through. Sisu is more than a commitment, it is about fighting for your idea even when the odds are against you.
In interior design, Sisu is the way you incorporate things that are important to you to the design. These items remind us of the person we are and the values we hold close to our heart.
At fram^, we encourage our people to commit to their ideas, no matter how strange they might be. We try to create a safe environment for our employees to pursue their goals and stick to their values. We all have something to fight for and we make sure that our employees have the best support to do so.
And of course, being a leading software company, we are also determined to create top-class products.
Hygge
Hygge (hue-gah) is probably the most well-known Scandinavian concept. It is a Danish word that refers to a sense of cosiness, togetherness or feeling content with the present moment. It can be the little things like a cup of tea in the afternoon, reading a book, etc. that simply brings you joy. Instead of looking at the mundane aspects of daily life as something to simply get through, Danes turn them into something to enjoy, recognizing that even the smallest moments in a day can have a big impact on how we feel.
We adapt Hygge to the way we work at fram^ by creating our own enjoyable moments. These moments could be a chat with colleagues, taking care of the plants or decorating the office. Not many people would say they love going to work. But with the Hygge spirit, fram^ employees can find joy in the way they work and enjoy those little moments.
Read more about out Swedish working culture here
These are a few things about our Scandinavian Heritage. If reading about them is not enough, you can join us to experience them yourself. Check out our opening positions at Fram^.