Sustainability in an era of AI and digitalization, focus on young people in the work live, and double grant for rehabilitation support – these are some of the insights for the work life in 2025 shared by our experts at Falck.
New regulatory structure and focus on young people in work life
SYSTEMATIC WORK ENVIRONMENT: The year begins with the new regulatory structure from the Swedish Work Environment Authority coming into effect. The change means that 67 regulations have been revised and consolidated into 15 more comprehensive regulations. As an employer, this means you need to review your organization's policies, routines, and instructions to ensure they align with the new legislation.
Looking ahead to 2025, I want to emphasize the importance of focusing on young people entering work life. Make sure to focus on the new employee and provide a good introduction to the workplace. This can be in the form of mentorship, knowledge sharing, and risk assessments. In this way, the employee not only feels welcome, but you as an employer also lay a solid foundation for them to receive good, considerate, and behavior-based safety training.
Monica Green, occupational safety engineer
Looking ahead to 2025, I want to emphasize the importance of focusing on young people entering work life.
Clear assignments and empowered leadership
LEADERSHIP: Having a job is a health factor. Besides providing us with an income, work is also crucial for satisfying several basic needs. A job contributes to meaning and context, offers an opportunity to contribute to a result, and not least, it creates opportunities for social relationships and personal growth and development.
At the same time, there are risks in today's work environment that contribute to ill health. Some examples include excessively high demands and workload combined with a lack of control and influence. Experiences of a lack of support from managers and colleagues can lead to burnout and stress-related problems.
Organize work in a way that is within the bounds of what is reasonable and achievable in relation to assignment goals. Discuss norms and set clear boundaries for reachability and availability. Being constantly connected affects the ability to relax and recover. Strengthen leadership by also putting the manager's work environment and health on the agenda.
Lena-Karin Allinger, organizational consultant
Sustainability in an era of AI, digitalization, and automation
CAREER AND OUTPLACEMENT: Technological development is advancing rapidly, and by 2025, AI and automation are expected to be integral parts of many workplaces. These innovations create new opportunities but also bring significant changes for both employers and employees. How do we create a sustainable work life where people and organizations can grow in step with this development?
An important aspect is to prioritize reflection. For the individual, this means having a structured opportunity to identify their strengths, areas for development, values, and goals—and find ways to grow in their work or adapt to new demands. For the employer, this creates a more flexible and engaged workforce, better equipped to meet these changes.
2025 is not just about new technology—it's about how we choose to embrace it. Reflection, adaptation, and learning are the keys to creating a sustainable work life for everyone.
Ulrika Eurén, product owner for career and transition
2025 is not just about new technology—it's about how we choose to embrace it.
Doubled grant for rehabilitation support to employers
REHAB: In 2025, the government will increase the employer's grant for workplace-oriented rehabilitation support by 20 million SEK. The increase means that employers can apply for support of 20,000 SEK per employee, instead of the current 10,000 SEK. The requirement remains that the employer must match the amount they apply for, with a cap of 200,000 SEK per employer.
With the increase in 2025, even greater opportunities are created for all employers, but perhaps especially for small and medium-sized employers, to seek assistance from occupational health services for employees in need of interventions. Examples of interventions that the grant can be used for include: work ability assessment, investigation of repeated short-term absence, rehab meetings, coordination, and collaboration.
Anna Sporrong, senior rehabilitation consultant
Increased need for crisis preparedness in workplaces
CRISIS SUPPORT: The revised regulatory structure from the Swedish Work Environment Authority also includes regulations covering areas such as Threats and Violence and First Aid and Crisis Support. The update provides a reason for Swedish companies and organizations to review their own crisis organization and internal crisis action plans.
However, it's not just about ensuring that internal crisis preparedness meets the requirements set by the Work Environment Authority. A more unsettled world and a generally increasing exposure to threats and violence in Swedish society strengthen the need for good preparedness for situations that previously might have seemed unlikely or even unrealistic.
A more tense global situation simultaneously raises awareness of risks that can affect employees and operations, providing a better foundational preparedness for external threats and sudden crises. It becomes more natural for the organization to ensure that systematic work environment efforts also include renewing risk assessments, updating crisis checklists, reviewing action plans, and examining the internal crisis organization. The next step involves updating competence levels with training and planning for the crisis team to have the opportunity to practice different types of crisis events.
Mattias Klawitter, psychologist and crisis coordinator
A more unsettled world and a generally increasing exposure to threats and violence in Swedish society strengthen the need for good preparedness
Preventing sick leave pays off
HEALTH: When organizations prioritize their work environment and a positive workplace climate, it significantly impacts employees' health and contributes to lower sick leave rates. It also increases the chances of retaining employees—perhaps allowing them to work to an older age than initially planned. Encourage physical activity and the use of wellness allowances.
Together with long-term and preventive work on health factors, you as an employer contribute to a sustainable work life. By acting early, you can prevent sick leave and the need for long rehabilitation, reducing the costs associated with absenteeism.
There are many factors known to be important for a sustainable work environment, but some worth mentioning include trustworthy and engaged leadership, along with transparency, participation, and influence.
