Trends with: Rebecca Farkhooy

The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote working and many companies have now incorporated permanent hybrid working policies. As employment lawyers, we are not only advising on implementation of these policies but also on how to tackle the risks associated with remote working, for example work environment considerations and the inability for diligent employees to disconnect outside of normal working hours. The long-term effect of these risks can have a big impact on the workforce if they are not mitigated at an early stage.

We are also looking at a rise in redundancies during autumn and winter due to the economic uncertainty, the energy crisis and the inflation of goods and services. Another likely reason for a rise in redundancies is the new employment laws that entered into force on 1 October in Sweden, which allow for a (to some extent) more employer-friendly redundancy process.

Whilst there is a rise in redundancies, many employers are at the same time struggling to organize their business and workforce to “work with what they have” due to a general shortage of labor and resources. This can, however, have a positive effect in the long run since employers will need to invest in developing the skills of existing employees.

In light of recent events and the war in Ukraine, the focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) has increased in many businesses. Although the concept has existed for a long period of time, it has become more evident in recent times that companies with robust ESG programs can improve their financial performance and public relations. ESG is now also key in many industries to attract and retain employees.