What do I do?

Supporting work ability at workplace

To get the best help for your situation, first answer the questions on the guide's start page.

Checklist for promoting and supporting work ability

Supporting work ability is based on good supervisory work, healthy and safe work, workplace practices and statutory obligations.

What does supporting work ability mean?

Supporting work ability means that the employer:

takes preventive measures, such as identifying hazards and workload factors at the workplace
makes sure that the work processes are smooth
reacts to possible changes with a systematic approach.

Because work ability is affected by several aspects, the support that employees need from their employer also varies.

Responsibilities and roles at the workplace

The employer is responsible for

ensuring that work is safe and does not pose a hazard to health
organising who are responsible for maintaining work ability at the workplace
agreeing on practices for the support of work ability.

Cooperation with personnel, occupational health care and the pension institution providing your earnings-related pension lays the foundation for supervisory work and effective practices.

Supporting work ability in everyday life

Support employees’ work ability with good supervisory work in day-to-day work. Identify the factors that burden employees and those that serve as a resource for employees. Reduce harmful workloads.

Prevent work ability problems:

Pay attention to work ergonomics
Invest in job orientation
Help employees develop their skills
Promote recovery
Support healthy and safe working approaches and lifestyles
Create a good work climate
Discuss with employees in their daily practice

Learn more about the different ways in which you can strengthen your employees’ work ability.

Do the following if an employee’s work ability has declined

React if you are concerned about your employee’s condition:

Discuss the situation with the employee. Assess whether the employee’s situation involves the short-term or longer-term decline of work ability.
Ask for help from occupational health care or other professionals in the management of work ability if necessary.
Think about potential solutions to the situation. Discuss the different alternatives together with the employee and occupational health care.

Support the employee during changes and when returning to work

Keep in touch with the employee even during their absence. Make sure that the support is successful and consider any further measures when the employee returns to work. Also agree on how their situation will be monitored in the future.

Practices for supporting work ability

Practices for supporting work ability describe workplace policies and methods that enable an employer to

promote the well-being of the work community
improve organisational performance
meet its legal obligations.

Identify workplace hazards and assess risks

Perform a hazard assessment as follows:

Identify work-related hazards and risk factors.
Assess the risks to the health and safety of employees.
Assess the likelihood and consequences of risks.
Make an effort to eliminate the hazards or consider how to reduce risks.

When assessing risks, it is advisable for the occupational health care provider to conduct a workplace survey so that proposals by occupational health care services on how to support work ability can be taken into account in measures.

Prepare the necessary plans and instructions

Occupational safety and health plans and instructions for the workplace are part of the practices for supporting work ability.

The following plans and guidelines apply to all workplaces:

If necessary, also prepare the following instructions:

Work community development plan

If the employer is covered by the Co-operation Act, they must draw up a development plan for the work community together with the personnel. Reviewing matters to be added to the development plan helps all workplaces to maintain their employees' work ability.

Personnel and training plan

Government agencies and institutions, municipalities and wellbeing services counties must draw up a personnel and training plan in the cooperation procedure once a year. The employer also has a statutory obligation to plan and implement the development of their employees' professional competence.

Equality and non-discrimination plan

When the workplace regularly employs at least 30 people, the employer must prepare equality and non-discrimination plans.

Describe the work ability support model

The work ability support model brings together the practices and instructions agreed upon at the workplace, i.e. the measures taken at the workplace

to promote employees' work ability
to detect the need for support for work ability
to support an employee's return to work after an absence
to monitor the success of the measures.

Monitor how well policy functions

The employer and supervisors must regularly monitor and assess the impacts of work ability support. Important indicators include:

the results of well-being at work surveys
the number of early support discussions
the number and duration of sickness absences
the number of occupational injuries
the number of employees for whom work has been adapted
customer feedback analysis.

Edit and supplement workplace policies and instructions as needed.

Take work ability into account when developing activities

When you take work ability management into account in the organisation's operational and financial planning,

medical care costs and disability costs will fall
employees' well-being at work will increase
the organisation's productivity and service quality will improve.

You can also familiarise yourself with services provided either for a fee or free of charge and allow you to develop the maintenance of your own organisation's work ability and well-being at work.

Where can I get help to support work ability?

If you have questions on the development of work ability support and legislation you can contact

the Centre for Occupational Safety
the Occupational safety and health authorities
your employers' association or entrepreneurial organisation

See contact details: Advisory services on support for work ability