In Finland, all employees are covered by occupational healthcare services, which include at least statutory services. The employer is responsible for arranging these services. Familiarise yourself with what is included and excluded in the statutory occupational healthcare services. The distinction is not always clear, so if you are unsure, you can consult your occupational healthcare service provider or us.
The scope of the occupational healthcare services funded by the employer depends on the ongoing agreement between the employer and the occupational healthcare provider. If needed, the employer can also purchase additional medical care services. It is the employer’s responsibility to inform the staff about the coverage details of the agreement. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that the occupational health service agreement is accessible to everyone at the workplace.
The aim of statutory occupational healthcare is to enable the employer, employees, and occupational healthcare provider to collectively promote:
1) the prevention of diseases and accidents related to or resulting from work;
2) health and safety at work and in the working environment;
3) the health and functional capacity of employees throughout their careers, and
4) engagement and activity among the employees.
Vaccinations and first aid training required for work are also included in the statutory services.
Occupational healthcare staff includes occupational physicians, occupational health nurses, and occupational physiotherapists. If necessary, the employee can also be referred to an occupational psychologist or an expert in social care.
Medical care is not included in the statutory occupational healthcare. All employees are insured in case of a workplace accident or occupational disease, so acute workplace accidents are often treated at the emergency room, through insurance at a private clinic or at the occupational health centre.
If the employer provides only statutory occupational healthcare services, the employee should manage primary diseases and related certificates through public or private healthcare. The same applies to conditions like depression or musculoskeletal issues such as knee pain.
If medical care is not included in the occupational healthcare agreement, we primarily refer the employee to public care for more detailed examinations and treatment. If, on the other han, medical care services are included, examinations and treatments can begin at the occupational health facility, where specialists are consulted as needed. This approach enables smooth and rapid support of work capacity. Furthermore, if a disease or condition requires an assessment of work capacity, the assessment is covered by statutory occupational healthcare.
It can be difficult to distinguish between statutory and non-statutory occupational health services, as work environments and health risks vary across different professions. Monitoring of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension is usually handled outside of the occupational healthcare. However, tracking the condition of a worker with night shifts may fall within the scope of statutory occupational healthcare. Given the gray area between statutory occupational healthcare and medical care, providing a comprehensive guideline for distinction is challenging.
The social security institution of Finland (KELA) reimburses 60% of the statutory occupational healthcare and 50% of any medical care services. KELA primarily covers costs for statutory occupational healthcare and then covers medical care services, provided the cost ceiling for statutory costs has not been reached. Additionally, the share of medical care costs must not exceed 40% of the total occupational healthcare costs.
Is it worthwhile for an employer to offer only statutory occupational healthcare to its staff, or should it include medical care services as well? The scope of the agreement is a matter agreed upon between the employer and the occupational healthcare provider, and is documented in the occupational healthcare agreement and further detailed in the operation plan. The agreement and operation plan can be updated as needed.
