Workplace health promotion supports work ability

“Work ability” refers to a person’s health and capacity, including their physical, mental, and social abilities. Work ability is further influenced by:  

• knowledge and skills 
• job content and its skill requirements 
• work community interactions, supervisory work, and management 
• attitude and motivation. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to organise workplace health promotion activities (työkykyä ylläpitävä toiminta, tyky-toiminta). Workplace health promotion activities and their planning are cooperative processes that include the occupational health service, occupational health and safety organisation, company management, human resources department, and the workers.  

The purpose of workplace health promotion is to support the workers’ health and happiness throughout their working careers. Competent and sustained workplace health promotion helps maintain and improve the work ability of the workers. The workforce’s work ability is a worthwhile investment – it improves individual welfare and the company’s performance and productivity.  

Workplace health promotion has many aspects 

Workplace health promotion includes the following areas:  

• supporting individual health, coping, and stamina 
• developing work-related skills and knowledge 
• improving job content and the working environment  
• improving the functionality of the work community and workplace organisation. 

In practice, workplace health promotion can be achieved by reorganising work, improving the ergonomics of workstations, training supervisors, adjusting working hours, utilising KIILA rehabilitation, and arranging workplace workouts, for example. 

Useful links 

• Occupational healthcare and maintaining work ability (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) 
• Support for work ability (in Finnish; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health) 
• Occupational health and safety in Finland (pdf) (in Finnish; Ministry of Social Affairs and Health brochure)