Is being a supervisor a priority — or just something done on top of other tasks?
A lot is expected of supervisors these days: results, presence, support, and the ability to recognize the signs of burnout early on. At the same time, their own time and well-being are under increasing strain, so Terveystalo’s organizational psychologists Kaisa Poutanen and Eveliina Holmgren pose a pertinent question: is being a supervisor a genuine priority, or just one responsibility among many?
Mental health challenges are a key cause of reduced work capacity and sick leave in the Finnish workplace. However, their increasing prevalence does not mean that line management has failed. On the contrary, we argue that line management has developed significantly over the past few decades. Workplaces are doing a lot of systematic work to support mental well-being. Line managers are being trained, work ability management is being developed, and there is active collaboration with occupational health services.
Yet burnout, anxiety, and stress have increased. As many as 80% of respondents to Terveystalo’s Healthy Work Life Barometer feel that Finnish working life is more fast-paced and stressful than ever before. This reflects, above all, changes in work and growing societal demands, not a decline in the quality of leadership. There are high expectations placed on supervisors, and managing their own well-being at work has become a key priority.
Supervisors play a key role in identifying early signs of work ability issues and providing support. At the same time, it is a fact that supervisors’ time is in high demand. Operational responsibilities, large teams, and changes take up time. Without sufficient resources and time to think, work easily becomes reactive. Active, early support for well-being at work does not happen as a side task; it requires conscious prioritization.
That is why it is worth asking whether supervisory work is truly a choice for which we see good reason to carve out time and create the conditions for success, even if that time comes at the expense of other tasks?
Strengthening leadership should be a strategic choice. In practice, this means setting priorities, reorganizing time management, and sometimes even giving up other things. At the same time, the responsibility for workplace well-being does not rest solely with leaders. Mental well-being is built within a system: in teams that function well enough, in organizational structures, and in smooth day-to-day collaboration between people. It is important to take this holistic view into account when preventing mental strain.
Positive developments are visible. According to the latest data, the rise in mental health-related absences has begun to level off (Näin Suomi voi 3/2026). This trend reinforces the idea that the measures taken and the improved work of supervisors are already bearing fruit.
Kaisa Poutanen and Eveliina Holmgren are organisational psychologists at Terveystalo, who work on organisational wellbeing and leadership development.
Read more occupational health blogs
Promoting health is also in the employer’s best interest, which is why it’s worth investing in
Well-being is important, whether viewed from a personal or a corporate perspective. According to Jaana Isotalo, Director of Human Resources and Communications at Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), preventing lifestyle-related diseases in particular makes sense both economically and from a human perspective. TVO is committed to investing heavily in employee well-being and has boldly adopted new Finnish technology to support this effort — something that is particularly appealing to staff in an engineering-focused field.
The Finnish debate on sick leave is broken
Misconceptions about sick leave are more persistent than the flu virus. According to leading occupational health physician Anita Riipinen, it is time to correct this misconception.
Research result: Evaluating the effectiveness of healthcare requires sufficiently sensitive indicators
When developing healthcare, the focus is usually on effectiveness and measurable evidence. From the perspective of the individual patient, it is important to understand whether the treatment will bring them real benefits, rather than just more procedures. From the perspective of society, it is important to know where limited resources should be allocated.
Let's reform occupational health together
Laura Karotie, SVP Corporate Health at Terveystalo, shares her initial observations on how occupational health can be developed in a customer-oriented and sustainable manner.
Here are the digital trends in healthcare 2025: AI frees up time and supports quality of care
Ilari Richardt, Director of Digital Services at Terveystalo, highlights five major digital trends that will transform healthcare this year. At the heart of these trends is the potential of artificial intelligence to solve healthcare problems.
Good medicine requires the right tools
Medicine, like many other sciences, is advancing by leaps and bounds. The fact that medicine guides our work means that we deliver the most effective care as recommended. This requires us to constantly evolve and keep ahead of the scientific curve, so that we can act in the best interests of our customers, using all appropriate and possible means.