Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Assessment report: WORK2030 programme succeeded in responding to changes in working life

The priorities and objectives of the WORK2030 programme responded well to the needs to develop working life, according to an external assessment. The programme supported earlier development work and succeeded in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in particular. The programme played an active role in implementing the ongoing reform of continuous learning at workplaces.

The core objective of the WORK2030 programme was to reform operating practices, make effective use of technology at workplaces and create working-life innovations. The measures of the programme were put in concrete terms as the following three priorities: conducting foresight and research activities, strengthening competence and capacity for renewal, and reforming operating practices.

An extensive range of measures and ideas for workplaces

According to the assessment, the implementation of the programme was successful in combining more traditional development measures, such as sector and region-specific projects, with experimental measures taken to develop new operating models. The new working-life innovations that resulted from these include the Fast Expert Teams method where multidisciplinary, temporary and digital teams solve the problems presented to them, and the model for dialogue on the future to create a shared situation picture.

The assessment recommends that the outcomes, good practices and effects produced by the WORK2030 programme should be utilised and developed in the future.

Development based on research-based information 

The programme made use of studies and reports on current working life, which supported the successful implementation of the programme. 

Workplace activities were examined in the MEADOW (Measuring the Dynamics of Organisation and Work) research project, which mapped out the views of both employers and employees at the same workplaces. The MEADOW research package examined digitalisation and innovation capacity, trust, continuous learning, employees’ participation opportunities and the performance of businesses.

The programme also enabled the HELP project on hybrid, remote and in-office work and examined effective brain work. The REITA project examined fair work on platforms. Other themes were related to climate change and work, young people and leadership, and artificial intelligence and work.

Development of working life requires joint discussion on the future

The assessment states that different operators need to form a shared target state of the future to develop working life even after the WORK2030 programme. The world of work is changing constantly. At its best, the development of working life is a long-term and continuous process at the level of both society and workplaces. Moving forward, it will be important to ensure that the key development themes in terms of working life, society, workplaces and sectors are identified when developing working life. 

According to the assessment, long-term national work to develop working life would benefit in practice either from programme activities extending across government terms or from a permanent development structure. It will also be necessary to have a body that coordinates public funding and development work and serves as a collaboration and discussion platform.

Implementation as part of the set of working life programmes 

The WORK2030 programme was implemented as part of the set of working life programmes of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government. Based on the assessment, a wide national commitment to the programme and its implementation was one of the key strengths of the programme. In the future, it will be important to further strengthen this commitment when developing working life.

The assessment of the programme was carried out by MDI Public Ltd together with Owal Group. A steering group consisting of experts from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health guided the assessment work.

Inquiries:

Liisa Hakala, Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Antti Närhinen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, [email protected] 
Sanna Kulmala, Programme Director, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, [email protected] 
Juho Nyman, Lead Specialist, MDI, [email protected]

• Assessment of the WORK2030 programme, final report (abstract in English)
• WORK2030 programme (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
• Website of the WORK2030 programme (Finnish Institute of Occupational Health)

What is the WORK2030 programme?
As part of the Government Programme, the WORK2030 programme helped develop the quality of working life and reform operating practices in cooperation with workplaces, sectors and experts. By developing operating practices and models, we can have a positive effect on employment, economy and competitiveness as well as Finland’s global image as a good working environment. The programme was carried out jointly by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish National Agency for Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, all central labour market organisations, the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Centre for Occupational Safety, Business Finland, the Finnish Work Environment Fund and a large number of other working life parties. The programme was led by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health was responsible for the programme’s operational activities. The WORK2030 programme belonged to the set of working life programmes carried out in the 2019–2023 government term.