Together towards a healthier workplace: The power of occupational health partnership

We believe that a healthy workplace is not created alone, it is the result of joint effort. According to our Terve työelämä (Healthy Working Life) barometer, Finnish business decision-makers think the same. The barometer shows that 43% of occupational health decision-makers consider their organization’s capabilities to influence working life to be at least fairly good, and this confidence has grown especially among CEOs and HR decision-makers. This indicates that Finnish working life can be developed but rarely alone. The strength of occupational health partnership lies in shared responsibility, multidisciplinary insight, and the ability to support organizations through change.

80% of occupational health decision makers see Finnish working life as increasingly fast-paced and demanding, even though Finland is still regarded internationally as a good place for employees. This tension between a strong foundation and increasing strain also defines the role of occupational health partnerships. Today, occupational health is no longer just a reactive service; it is an essential part of an organization’s ability to manage work ability, change, and human sustainability. Our goal is to be the best occupational health partner for our clients and to deliver a Worldclass customer experience. For us, occupational health is above all about supporting a thriving work community and business.
When work ability is managed proactively and information is shared, our clients can reduce unnecessary strain, accelerate the resolution of work ability issues, and free up time for their core activities. We believe that by continuously developing our own operations for the benefit of our clients, we are able to address what matters most - at the right time and in the right place.

Out client's expect occupational health services to provide close collaboration and partnership, where occupational health actively supports the company in its daily operations. This means that occupational health should be involved in developing workplace well-being and supporting employees' work ability in the long term. The key to this is combining information and understanding. By identifying factors affecting work ability in advance, we can, with the help of a multidisciplinary team in occupational health, create solutions that achieve impactful results. From the client’s perspective, this translates into smoother everyday operations: work ability processes progress consistently, practices are clear, and decisions are based on up-to-date information. This way, we create value and support our clients' sustainable success.

According to the Healthy Working Life barometer, business decision-makers expect the greatest future challenges to arise from competition for talent and finding solutions to skills shortages, especially as the working-age population in Finland is aging and decreasing at an accelerating pace. This places strong expectations on occupational health partners to focus on preventive measures that support the work ability of an increasingly diverse workforce. At Terveystalo, we respond to these expectations by further intensifying multidisciplinary collaboration by strengthening occupational health teams with professionals from various fields and ensuring continuous care and community support even in potential transition situations. When the client relationship is based on shared understanding rather than individual contacts, the expertise and knowledge accumulated within the team remain available even in situations involving unexpected personnel changes.

This also ensures consistent service quality, which for clients is primarily reflected as predictability. When services function in the same way across all situations and locations, supervisors and HR know what to expect and time is not wasted resolving inconsistencies. This brings clear business benefits: time savings, better cost control, and the ability to manage employee work ability in a structured way across the organization.

Multidisciplinary collaboration provides a holistic view of complex situations

Factors affecting work ability are rarely isolated. In open responses from the barometer, recurring themes include feelings of shame, fear, and isolation related to workload, sometimes also guilt about not being able to cope or about limited personal resources. When situations can be examined collaboratively from a multidisciplinary perspective, the focus shifts from symptoms to root causes such as work structures, workload distribution, leadership practices, and the functioning of the work community. For clients, this results in practical solutions: factors affecting work ability are addressed consistently, regardless of the situation or location.

When occupational health teams include experts from multiple disciplines, this improves information flow and collaboration across professional groups. Clients gain access to the full expertise of the multidisciplinary team, resulting in impactful, well-targeted support for overall wellbeing.

In addition to multidisciplinary expertise, clients also expect good accessibility and smooth information flow from their partners. Working together means that the integration of knowledge and understanding continues even in unexpected situations. Digital services support information sharing, while a close-knit multidisciplinary team ensures that knowledge is not dependent on a single individual. By working this way, occupational health partnerships not only improve individual wellbeing but also strengthen the overall functioning of the entire work community.

Ultimately, the value of occupational health partnership is reflected in the client’s daily operations and results. When occupational health services are consistent and proactive, organizations can focus on their core activities, business development, and growth. At its best, occupational health is an active partner that helps clients build sustainable and competitive business.