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Data Protection Contact information Data Protection Officer Data Protection Officer Lassi Kauttonen The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity tietosuojavastaava.stm(at)gov.fi Controller The Minis...

19.5.2026 | Commitment to measures to eradicate sexual harassment at work We, the undersigned key actors in Finnish working life, recognise that sexual harassment is a major problem in working life and it must be addressed actively and through concrete action...

1.12.2025 | The EU ministers will attend the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Brussels on 1 and 2 December 2025. On both days, Finland will be represented by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso.

21.5.2025 | The employment rate of registered nurses and practical nurses is high, with more than 90 per cent of graduates finding work in the social welfare and health care sector. Unemployed nurses cannot be relied on to respond to the future labour shortage in the sector. People who have sought employment in other sectors represent the most significant resource of unutilised workforce. Some relief can also be provided by pensioners for whom working is increasingly common.

23.11.2023 | The minimum staffing level for care personnel in units providing 24-hour care for older people will rise from the current minimum level of 0.65 employees per client to 0.7 employees per client on 1 January 2028. During the transition period, the service structure will be developed and a number of measures will be taken to improve the availability of healthcare and social welfare personnel. 

18.8.2026 | EN EN EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 13.7.2026 COM(2026) 364 final REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the application of Council Directive 2000/43/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between person...

28.6.2024 | The Government and central labour market organisations have negotiated joint equal pay measures for the period 2024–2027. The aim of the Equal Pay Programme is to further reduce the gender pay gap. In addition to the measures set out in the Programme, there are other measures underway to reduce the pay gap.

15.5.2023 | 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.

31.3.2023 | The comprehensive WORK2030 programme, carried out collaboratively by ministries, social partner organisations, workplaces and other experts in the field, is coming to an end. The programme identified five solutions that will help make Finnish working life the best in the world.

31.10.2025 | Healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision Views and proposals of Ministry of Social Affairs and Health officials regarding needs for changes to the healthcare and social welfare service system Permanent Secretary Veli-Mikko Niemi In “Healthcare an...

8.12.2021 | The Government proposes a new temporary section (48a) for the Communicable Diseases Act, under which healthcare and social welfare service providers, i.e. employers, could be required to ensure that their employees do not pose a risk of COVID-19 infection to the persons they are caring for.

Insurance-related appeals A policy holder, who is unhappy with an insurance company's decision, should first take the matter up with a representative of their insurance company. Policy holders may request a statement from one of the following insu...

12.10.2020 | Work may not compromise the health and safety of employees. There is no ambiguity in this respect. However, it is a challenging objective to reach in a rapidly changing world of work.

Appealing income security decisions The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health does not process requests for a review, objections or complaints. Instead, it drafts legislation on appeal boards and this way ensures the legal protection of people whe...

12.5.2023 | The measures launched during the working capacity programme to create a more inclusive labour market and to employ people with impaired working capacity should be continued and developed further. The employees’ ability to work is an essential factor in the pursuit of a higher employment rate. These are some conclusions of the evaluation report on the recently completed working capacity programme.

18.5.2022 | A research project entitled Working careers and occupational segregation behind the gender pay gap, which is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, studies the career development of women and men and changes in occupational structures in light of long-term statistical data. In particular, it examines how career changes and changes in duties are connected to the gender pay gap.

Rehabilitation The aim of rehabilitation is to enhance the individual's functional capacity, independent coping, opportunities for participation, work and study ability as well as their opportunities for employment and continuing working. Rehabili...

22.6.2022 | On 22 June, the Ministerial Working Group on COVID-19 received an epidemiological review as well as an overview of the updated vaccination strategy and testing and tracing strategy.

Whistleblower protection Whistleblower protection safeguards people who report certain types of misconduct. In this case, a ‘whistleblower’ is a person who, in the course of their work, discovers a breach of European Union or national law concerni...

9.4.2020 | Finland’s COVID-19 testing strategy is based on the principle of test – trace contacts – and treat. This strategy was adopted for tracing infections at the start of the epidemic. At the same time, our central aim has been to increase the testing capacity.

8.11.2021 | Working life in Finland is strongly divided by gender. This means that many sectors and jobs have a clear majority of either female or male employees. Segregation maintains narrow gender stereotypes, prevents the full utilisation of skills, has a detrimental effect on the functioning of the labour market and is also reflected in the pay gap and, consequently, in pensions.

Prevention of human trafficking The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health aims to prevent social problems caused by trafficking in human beings and to identify and help victims. The Ministry’s responsibilities include ensuring that victims of traf...

24.6.2021 | People in designing work and the working environment A handbook for the proactive planning of work and design of working environments 2People in designing work and the working environment Version 1.3 June | 2021 People in designing work and the wo...

11.2.2020 | How can workplaces ensure that mental health resources are valued and colleagues are supported if they have encountered problems? How can workplaces nurture and strengthen their employees’ mental health?

Department for Insurance and Social Security The Department for Insurance and Social Security directs and steers insurance policy and is responsible for drafting social insurance and other insurance legislation. The Department handles issues that ...

Chemical oversight Chemicals legislation prevents harm caused by chemicals Chemicals legislation prevents harm caused by chemicals to health and the environment. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general guidance, mo...

Insurance business in Finland is subject to licence.The government grants licences to authorised pension insurance companies that manage earnings-related pension insurance.

5.6.2020 | The Government wants to secure the financing of unemployment benefits under the emergency conditions caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

22.12.2020 | On 22 December, the Finnish Government issued a decree on vaccinations, which is needed to deploy the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Finland. The programme will use vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that have been granted marketing authorisation in the European Union. It will be deployed once vaccines arrive in Finland. The decree will enter into force on 23 December 2020. Vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary.

4.9.2026 | FINNISH GOVERNMENT PO Box 23, FI-00023 Government, Finland vn.fi/en Tel. +358 295 16001 VALTIONEUVOSTO PL 23, 00023 Valtioneuvosto vn.fi p. 0295 16001 1(5) Entries in the meeting minutes Budget session of Prime Minister Orpo’s Government 1 Septemb...

6.8.2020 | At the national level, the number of new coronavirus infections is still small, even though there has been a slight increase in reported cases in July. 

28.10.2020 | For over six months, the COVID-19 epidemic has put an unprecedented strain on people’s mental coping and wellbeing. It is important that those who feel anxious or worried seek help in these exceptional times. Sometimes it takes courage to seek help, and it is fortunate that many have been brave enough to reach out and ask for help.

16.9.2020 | The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared 17 September World Patient Safety Day. In Finland, patient and client safety will be made visible by organising events and lighting up landmarks in orange colour.

13.8.2020 | The number and incidence of new coronavirus infections has clearly increased compared to the low figures at the beginning of July. Nevertheless, the number of cases remains relatively small at national level. The increased number of new cases is most evident in Helsinki and the Uusimaa region.

2.2.2021 | The Global Risks Report  of the World Economic Forum includes extreme weather and climate action failure, infectious diseases and digital inequality in the list of world’s greatest threats in 2021. These issues also directly impact occupational safety and health (OSH). 

1.9.2026 | On 1 September 2026, the Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2027 and is steadily implementing the agenda it agreed at the spending limits session. The agenda includes EUR 100 million of investment in construction and numerous transport infrastructure projects. The Government’s targeted measures will support economic growth.

14.8.2019 | MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH stm.fi/en I @MSAH_News I #EU2019FI Social welfare and healthcare in Finland Finland’s constitution requires that public authorities, in addition to providing health services for all, promote peoples’ health. T...

5.12.2025 | 1 Classified as ECDC NORMAL Appendix 10 - Country follow-up to ECDC PHEPA recommendations Following the PHEPA mission conducted in your country, the final ECDC assessment report includes a series of recommendations aiming at supporting your countr...

Lasten ja nuorten ylipainon ehkäisy yhteiskunnallisena haasteena Lasten ja nuorten ylipaino on Suomessa nopeasti yleistyvä ja monisyinen haaste, jonka vaikutukset ulottuvat väestön terveydestä työ- ja toimintakykyyn sekä julkisen talouden kestävyy...

15.6.2020 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior request comments on the draft government proposal concerning the health and social services reform and the organisation of rescue services from the municipalities and joint municipal authorities of mainland Finland and other parties mentioned in the request for comments. The deadline for submitting comments is 25 September 2020.