When the goal is to have a safe work environment for all, attention should be focused on plans that support health and safety at work. These include, but are not limited to, the workplace community development plan, occupational health care action plan, occupational safety and health policy and workplace survey. The more concrete these documents are, the better they provide guidance for taking action and eliminating and preventing excessive stress.
- The workplace community development plan (työyhteisön kehittämissuunnitelma) is aimed at developing competence and wellbeing of the employees. It serves as a tool used in discussions in the workplace on matters such as the ways in which the workforce is used, the structure and competence needs of the personnel and competence development. A concrete development plan also takes into account the personnel’s needs at different times, changes in working life, and it guides the activities in the workplace as planned.
- All employees are entitled to occupational healthcare. The employer and occupational healthcare provider prepare the occupational health care action plan (työterveyden toimintasuunnitelma), which is aimed at keeping the workplace, work community and work environment safe. The plan also sets out how work-related health hazards and risks are prevented, monitored and reported.
- Employers are required to have an occupational safety and health policy (työsuojelun toimintaohjelma). This policy sets out the areas for improvement in the workplace and the impacts of factors related to the work environment. The objectives of promoting health and safety at work and maintaining work ability are based on this policy.
Employers are required to involve employee representatives in the development and planning of the activities of the workplace. In the absence of these representatives, all employees should be included in the discussions. - The statutory workplace survey (työpaikkaselvitys) is carried out by the occupational healthcare provider, and the employer is responsible for the survey. The workplace survey is carried out when cooperation with the occupational healthcare provider begins and whenever there is a material change in the nature of work or working conditions.
The occupational healthcare provider assesses how the risks and harms arising from the work, work community and work environment and the stress factors and resource factors impact health and ability to work. The workplace survey is a tool used to examine the impact of the work and work environment on the employees’ health and ability to work.
The occupational healthcare provider uses the survey to provide proposals for measures on how to manage potential risks and stress factors at the workplace. - Employers are advised to invest in proactive personnel planning. This means drawing up a contingency plan for managing a situation when someone is absent from work. A good plan is achieved by identifying key duties and key employees. Once these have been identified, stand-ins are defined for key duties or, at the very least, an action plan is drawn up for situations when someone is absent. Finally, work processes are carefully documented. This ensures that the stand-in can genuinely cover for an absent colleague.
Up-to-date plans that are appropriate for the workplace and familiar to all employees are the basis for the wellbeing and health and safety at work. Open discussions at the workplace and appreciation and respect for everyone increase the atmosphere of trust. Together with the plans, these lay the foundation for everyday health and safety practices at work.
If your workplace does not have these plans, ask your employee representative about them. If your workplace does not have an employee representative, ask an employer representative to tell you about the plans or to show them to you.
Sirkku Pohja, the co-author of the article, works as a work life expert at TEK. She has extensive experience in promoting equality, non-discrimination and occupational safety at work.
Costs of burnout are high for the company and the individual
One day of absence due to sickness costs the employer about EUR 370.00. This sum includes arranging for a substitute, slower workflow and overtime. According to Statistics Finland, salary earners had about 13 days of sick leave in 2022 (link in Finnish). The annual costs per employee amount to almost EUR 5,000.00.
There is a lot of variation in the costs of sick leave depending on the sector. Companies with production equipment, for instance, may have significantly higher costs due to absences, as machinery and equipment incur costs even when not in use.
The costs are even higher if there are lots of short sick leaves in the company. The company will only receive Kela’s sickness allowance for absences lasting more than ten days. On the other hand, prolonged sickness absences also put the company at a relatively high risk, especially if the absence leads to incapacity to work.
Other notable disadvantages of sickness absences include disruptions to the work routine, missed deadlines and losing competence, which may be very critical for the company.
For the employee, sick leave may cause financial difficulties and other challenges. In accordance with the Employment Contracts Act, employers are obliged to pay salary for the sickness allowance waiting period. This waiting period is the day the employee fell ill plus nine working days. The payment of salaries for periods longer than this is usually agreed in collective agreements. It depends on the duration of the employment relationship, and salaries are typically paid for 1–3 months. For sick leaves exceeding the waiting period, Kela pays sickness allowance for a maximum of 300 working days. Any treatment and medication costs not fully reimbursed by Kela incur additional costs.
Other harms include physical pain and suffering. Long sick leaves may make the employee feel anxious, depressed, concerned and stressed. Long sick leaves may also reduce the employee's motivation and commitment to work. The employee’s career and pay development may slow down.
Sick leaves can also have an impact on the atmosphere at work and the company's business operations. If other employees are expected to bear the burden, it may cause harmful stress. If this stressful situation is prolonged, the employees may fall ill. The business impacts may include poorer customer service, delays in production, direct financial losses or production standstills.