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Work Life Forum Finland 2022 focuses on current picture of working life
Finland is preparing for a challenging autumn and winter. Inflation, rising energy prices, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and climate change challenge society as a whole at many different levels. Good working life is one of the pillars of the welfare society. What is now required from the world of work is special capacity for renewal, the anticipation of skills needs, and flexibility and agility to adapt to rapidly changing situations.
It is now more important than ever to discuss working life. A good and productive working life is one of the basic pillars of the Finnish welfare society.
Finnish working life needs decisions and actions to ensure wellbeing, the continuation of meaningful and productive work and the availability of skilled labour. Amid the transformation of working life, Finland needs a common understanding of the current picture of working life and a shared view on the future direction.
Important to engage in discussion on working life at all levels
The Work Life Forum Finland 2022 will give everyone a chance to join in the debate on the world of work. It is necessary to engage in a broad-based discussion on the future of work at all levels, because changes will occur at workplaces. Effective actions at workplaces arise from trust and cooperation. Successful and healthy workplaces grow, employ people and increase wellbeing and productivity around them.
The speakers at the event include Speaker of Parliament Matti Vanhanen, Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen and Governor of the Bank of Finland Olli Rehn. Other speakers include Actor Jasper Pääkkönen, Research Professors Tuomo Alasoini and Heikki Hiilamo and Professor Alf Rehn. In addition to the speakers, a significant number of decision-makers and experts in their respective fields will participate in discussing the topics of the event.
Over a thousand people are expected to attend this hybrid event.
Picture of working life accelerates change
At the Work Life Forum Finland 2022, discussions will focus on the current picture of Finnish working life, which was formed by conducting a crowdsourcing survey, as part of the Government’s WORK2030 programme, to collect people’s experiences of Finnish working life and how it has changed. Almost 4,000 people responded to the survey. In total, the survey attracted 26,000 responses to open questions.
The debate on the picture of working life will revolve around the welfare state, the resilience of society and working life, Finland’s competitiveness, continuous learning, the impact of digitalisation, changes concerning management, and the capacity of Finnish workplaces to perform well against global competition.
The aim of the debate is to find out, for example, how working life and economy affect the maintenance of a welfare society; what impact these have on the employment targets, people’s wellbeing and the efforts to increase inclusion; how we can strengthen the resilience of society and working life to tackle the challenges we face; how we can make use of digitalisation, trust and cooperation as part of a strong Finnish working life; and how we can boost the image of having a high level of competence and make Finland more attractive for investments.
“In the changing world of work, future challenges are bound to be so diverse in nature that we must find ways to regenerate together. Employment, productivity and the quality of working life go hand in hand. Although many of the challenges and trends are visible everywhere, Finnish working life and its future seem different from the perspective of different people. For this reason, we need such a platform for public debate on working life that is accessible to everyone," says Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen.
Inquiries:
Liisa Hakala, Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 50 575 6447, [email protected]
Sanna Kulmala, Programme Director, WORK2030 programme, tel. +358 40 411 6378, [email protected]
Jiri Sironen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 40 450 9077, [email protected]
What is the Work Life Forum Finland 2022?
The Work Life Forum Finland 2022 is a discussion event developed under the Government’s WORK2030 programme. The WORK2030 programme reforms 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 is 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 actors. The programme is led by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health is responsible for the programme’s operational activities.