The number of staff employed by the association at the end of the year was 110, compared with 113 a year earlier, of whom 84 were permanent and 26 temporary. Of the staff, 87 were women and 23 men, with an average age of 45.4 years. During 2020, 19 new employment contracts were signed and 15 contracts expired. Personnel management The year was largely defined by the Covid-19 pandemic. On 18 March 2020, practically all staff transferred to teleworking, which continued until the end of the year. In the spring, the management group set up a preparedness team to ensure the smoothest possible daily life and uniformity of practices in the event of an emergency, without compromising security. The aim is to be as alert as possible to the general situation and its impact on work, activities and well-being. The preparedness team comprises the Secretary General, the Director of Finance and Administration, the Director of Communications, the IT Manager, the Head of Administration, the Head of Health and Safety and the Health and Safety Executive. The group met weekly in the spring and at least every two weeks in the autumn. During the year, support was provided to build the capacity of front-line staff to manage remotely and to support the capacity of employees to manage themselves remotely. There was some variation in remote working skills across functions and good practices were shared between teams and managers. In the autumn, staff participated in the Great Place To Work staff survey, the results of which were published in January 2021, and the Culture Corona Audit of leadership practices related to the survey were finalised in mid-2021. The survey showed that the overall employee experience was significantly better than the Finnish working life average. The implementation of the HR system has continued and operational processes have been developed. In the year under review, a project was launched to create an HR programme to map existing HR and management practices and operating models and to build an HR development path to meet the needs of the new strategic period. The programme will cover all aspects of HR functions and all stages of the employment life cycle. The central office will follow the collective agreement for social organisations for 2020-22 and the local agreement that entered into force in 2017. Occupational health Mehiläinen Forum continued to be the provider of occupational health services for the CSF. The CSF’s occupational health services include statutory occupational health services, healthcare services provided by general physicians and, when necessary, two visits to a specialist with a referral from the occupational health physician. The services were extended in the spring with the addition of the Worry Corner. This is a service available through Mehiläinen’s digital clinic that provides low-threshold discussion support for employees on issues related to concerns and coping. In the autumn, as in previous years, staff were offered the opportunity to receive an employer-sponsored flu vaccination. Staff meetings Several staff meetings were held during the year. They were organised as Teams meetings following the move to teleworking. The meetings covered current issues and included presentations on board and committee decisions and issues raised by the preparedness team. Regular presentations were also made on activities. Wellbeing at work Exceptional circumstances affected wellbeing at work in 2020, making it harder to assess than under normal circumstances. The preparedness team conducted three wellbeing surveys in April, May and August. The first two surveys focused mainly on job satisfaction, while the third highlighted psychosocial factors. The third survey also included two questions aimed exclusively at teleworkers, concerning their ability to cope and their skills as teleworkers. Based on the evaluation of the preparedness team and the results of the questionnaires, the following measures were taken: the recording of working time was made more flexible for the spring, a work station (monitor and a work chair) was delivered from the workplace to employees who so wanted, increased insurance cover for teleworking by providing staff with leisure-time accident insurance; and masks were provided for visitors to the office. Teleworking staff also had the opportunity to spend an hour of working time each week on physical activity. This sought to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, increase general wellbeing and bring a sense of vitality to the working day. Coping at work was also further strengthened with support for sports and cultural activity. During the year, each employee was entitled to a sports and culture allowance worth €300. Sick days accounted for 2.6% of all working days. Labour protection The CSF’s labour protection committee comprised labour protection manager Minna Heikkilä (chairperson), labour protection representative Aapeli Nevala and deputy representatives Tuulia Råmark and Milla Lehtinen. Shop steward and employee representative Communications Specialist Maarit Rautio continued as shop steward representing the Union of Private Sector Professionals (ERTO), and Statistician Elli Hirvonen, as the elected employee representative. Both the labour protection committee and the joint working group between management and stewards convened a few times during the year. Staff training Voluntary training of staff is encouraged. Employees participated in several individual training courses and seminars, where possible remotely, as well as longer-term training alongside work. Internal training was provided not only on wellbeing at work, but also on issues such as cancer care, hereditary issues and patient support.
