Enjoying a healthy work-life balance – meet Johanna Bodin

Enjoying a healthy work-life balance and mutual respect – meet Johanna Bodin

Johanna started at Nevel in November 2021 and has been working as an Operations & Maintenance Mechanic in Gimo, Sweden ever since. She came to Nevel from Vattenfall Värme where she held the same role, after a rich and varied work history led to her deciding to study process engineering. Johanna appreciates the supportive atmostphere at Nevel, and shares how she experiences the Nevel value of respecting expertise in her day-to-day work.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

In my role as Operations & Maintenance Mechanic I operate Nevel plants in the region, maintaining equipment in our five plants across Gimo, Östhammar and Österbybruk. I start my day with a breakfast meeting to plan the day together with the other two mechanics. Then we load the woodchips, which are used to fuel the plants. This takes an hour or so, and after that I’m off on my daily round. If it’s a slow day I do paperwork and reporting, and of course I attend to any alarms. We have daily Pulse meetings for planning and talk about what has happened during the week and if there have been any issues with safety. Our first priority is always safety.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I like the fact I’m free to plan my own day and every day is different: I might be hauling woodchips by tractor, traveling between plants or carrying out daily maintenance tasks. There are only three of us so we get to do everything: repairs, calendar-based maintenance, reactive maintenance and reporting. Sometimes we have contact with customers too. It’s busy, but fun. I’ve also taken care of summer workers and even done some renovation work on the office space. I like doing things and being productive, so this role is perfect for me.

Do you feel your expertise is respected at Nevel?

Most definitely. We are included in projects, we get asked for our opinions and we’re always listened to. Last year I noticed that the gates protecting the woodchip supply would be safer if they closed automatically, so I took it on as a project. My concerns were listened to and respected and I got the work done.

Why is respect so important?

Respect is important anyway, but it’s really important in my area of the business. Our team works very closely together and we have to trust one another. With the work we do people could get hurt if we didn’t respect each other.

How does Nevel ensure a healthy work-life balance?

Every day we are provided with a tasty breakfast to share: coffee, juice and sandwiches. We also have a healthcare allowance and can choose to have massages or go to the gym, for example. Our free time is respected and we look after each other: if someone needs a day off we help to make it happen.

What inspires you?

My inspiration is nature: I love hiking and being on the beach. I’d love to have more time to travel and see the world one day!

How do you wind down after work?

I like to watch TV. I don’t have much downtime because I have four kids who keep me busy. I spend a lot of time taking them to their hobbies like ice hockey and football. Because their school is right next to the Gimo plant they see me driving the tractor around, and the energy we generate goes to heat their school. I work and they stay warm! I like the fact that they can see a link between what I do for work and their everyday lives.

Read more about Nevel’s company culture and the things we believe in: Nevel careers