Beyond the Desk: Exploring our Colleagues’ MyWeek Adventures

We have the concept called MyWeek at Schibsted Finland, which aims to give everyone in the company an extra boost of energy by allowing them to take time off work to do things that make them happy.

MyWeek is all about giving the employees the chance to do something they wouldn’t normally have time for. It’s an opportunity to recharge their batteries, whether that’s by doing sports, relaxing, spending more time with loved ones, studying new skills, or travelling.

Curious about how people at Schibsted spent their recent MyWeek? Follow us in this blog post to learn more about the unique ways our colleagues chose to recharge.

First, we interviewed Hang Do Minh, our Android Developer, on how she used her MyWeek for a vacation in February to recharge her energy:

Where did you go? What did you do there?

I went to Venice to see the Venice carnival. I explored the city and admired the dressed up people who popped up pretty much everywhere, visited some places and museums I didn’t have the chance to see during my previous visit, and I also attended a masquerade ball in a historical setting.

What was the most memorable thing about your MyWeek?

To see the Venice carnival has been on my bucket list ever since I can remember, so it was definitely a memorable thing to finally experience it. 

How did your MyWeek experience impact your work and overall well-being?

It gave me a chance to relax and recharge a bit so that I could return to work with renewed energy. It definitely improved my overall well-being. 

Next, we have our Engineering Manager Yevgeniya Nättilä sharing how MyWeek has helped her to have an opportunity to see her family after a long while!

When and how did you spend your MyWeek? How is it a special occasion for you?

I have spent MyWeek in 2022 in Egypt. I am originally from Kazakhstan and my parents still live there. I have a back then 8 years old son and my parents have last seen their grandchild when he was 5, in summer 2019. It was Covid first and the war then that were keeping us apart. So, we have selected Egypt as a country which is mid way for both of our countries and where it was still relatively safe to fly.

What did you and your family do together?

In my head, it was a bit of a cliché as a vacation destination, so I didn’t expect much, just saw this as an opportunity to see my parents. But it ended up to be such an awesome place with so many different things to offer. We’ve done a ton of activities together like diving, swimming with dolphins, climbing pyramids, riding camels and just catching up eating and walking all together.

What do you think of your MyWeek experience in general?

MyWeek has given me an amazing opportunity to reunite with my family after a long break, my son got all the gifts and the attention of the grandparents he rarely sees, and they enjoyed their grandkid they have been terribly missing. And Egypt, with all its history and beauty of nature, had surprised me in the best way possible. With the school age kids, most of the vacations are forced on the time of school breaks and such, but MyWeek really gives one additional opportunity of doing something extra! 

We hope that these interviews have provided a glimpse into the diverse reasons for what our colleagues have used their MyWeek for. At Schibsted, we’re committed to supporting our team members in their personal growth, so MyWeek has also been used for other purposes completely outside of work such as taking a course or volunteer work. We want all of our employees to feel good at work and MyWeek is one of the many ways to help our employees recharge and have good energy to work and develop themselves.

Stay tuned for more stories about our life at Schibsted!