Occupational safety and wellbeing at work

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health prepares legislation on occupational safety, defines the objectives for occupational safety and health enforcement and develops the national guidelines and policies for the work environment and wellbeing at work. The Ministry is also responsible for international cooperation related to occupational safety and wellbeing at work in Finland.    

Occupational safety and wellbeing at work refer to a broad understanding of safety and wellbeing at the workplace and to the related practices, culture and legislation.  

Occupational safety and wellbeing at work entail measures to ensure the physical, mental and social safety, health and wellbeing of employees. The aim is to reduce accidents, injuries and work-related diseases and to strengthen the resources that promote work performance and help employees and workplaces reach their goals. 

What do occupational safety and wellbeing at work mean?

Compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Occupational Healthcare Act at workplaces prevents hazards and risks to the health of employees and makes it possible to achieve the basics of wellbeing at work. Compliance with other legislation related to working life also strengthens the foundation of wellbeing at work.  

It is in the interests of all workplaces to ensure good occupational safety and health and wellbeing at work. These increase the attractiveness of work and help people perform well in their work. 

Key factors for wellbeing at work are:  

• operating and management practices at the workplace  
• professional skills and competence  
• meaningfulness of the content of work  
• well-functioning workplace communities  
• opportunities to exert influence and participate as well as opportunities for training at work  
• state of health and work ability of employees and  
• opportunities to reconcile work with other areas of life.  

How do occupational safety and health lay the foundation for wellbeing at work?

Under the Finnish Constitution, public authorities are responsible for the protection of labour force. The Occupational Safety and Health Act states that employers have a duty to take care of the safety and health of their employees while at work by taking the necessary measures. Employers and employees must cooperate in maintaining and improving occupational safety at the workplace. 

Every workplace must see to the assessment and management of risks. It is also important that workplaces and occupational health services cooperate in the field of occupational health to promote and support the work ability of employees.  

A good and healthy work environment promotes the wellbeing of employees. Work can also serve as a resource. Trust and cooperation as well as a high level of competence of employees and making full use of their skills at the workplace are among the strengths of Finnish working life that lay a good foundation for wellbeing at work.  

• Policy for the work environment and wellbeing at work until 2030Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab
• Implementation plan 2024–2027Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab

What kind of development work should workplaces engage in? 

The results of development work have been recorded, for example, in the case studies of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work concerning the development of occupational safety and in the outcomes of the European Social Fund projects on the development of wellbeing at work.

• Publications of the European Agency for Safety and Health at WorkLink to an external website
• Structural fund information service, programme period 2014–2020Link to an external website

The Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government contains a set of working life programmes to support workplaces and develop the service system.   

At the same time, the Work2030 programme develops wellbeing at work and productivity by, for example, promoting good leadership and disseminating best practices, such as dialogue about the future, for workplaces and sectors.

• WORK2030 programme (Finnish Institute of Occupational Health)Link to an external website

The Mental Health at Work Programme helps to disseminate the model for occupational health cooperation and the Mental Health Toolkit intended for workplaces. One of the aims of the Programme is to reduce sick leaves for mental health reasons.

• Mental Health at Work Programme

The purpose of the work ability programme is to improve people’s ability to cope at work and reduce the rate of retirement on a disability pension, with due consideration for older people.