The Finnish Commerce Federation and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN compiled recommendations for hybrid work

COVID-19 caused a radical change in the way work is performed and during the pandemic, the majority of senior salaried employees in the commerce sector shifted from in-office work to working remotely. As the pandemic has passed, a so-called hybrid work model has been adopted in several workplaces. In the model, work is occasionally carried out both remotely and physically at the workplace. New approaches are therefore needed. For this reason, the Finnish Commerce Federation and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN worked together to draw up recommendations for hybrid work in the industry.“We want to offer a model that is a practical as possible and benefits our SME member companies to a large extent. The publication contains key examples of hybrid work rules, flexible working hours, management and interaction, all of which improve occupational well-being and support supervisory work and management,” says Anna Lavikkala, Labour Market Director at the Finnish Commerce Federation.

“The recommendations’ drafting process ensured that the views of both the employees and the employer were taken into account equally. We think that we achieved that successfully, and the recent recommendations provide a good foundation for developing company-specific practices in cooperation with the personnel,” says Joonas Kopra, Contract Branches Manager at YTN.

Influence of social responsibility and safety at work

The aim of the publication on the new way to work and achieve occupational well-being is to help companies solve the challenges of hybrid work experienced by senior salaried employees. The recommendations take into account the results of a survey of salaried employees which YTN prepared in autumn 2021.

“The publication’s background is in the issues of social responsibility that are important for commerce, such as ensuring that commerce sector workers are well. A healthy employee is, of course, also motivated, committed and productive. A satisfied employee speaks positively about their employer, which supports a good employer reputation and increases the attractiveness of the entire commerce sector,” Lavikkala explains.

The rules presented in the publication also concern occupational safety.

“Employers have a statutory occupational health and safety liability, which applies to both mental and physical occupational safety. For this reason, the recommendations are also intended to be an aid in occupational safety management,” Lavikkala adds.

Many people prefer remote work and hybrid working models

88.3 per cent of salaried employees believe that the remote work practices from the time of the pandemic are very or fairly beneficial. People feel that remote work has had a positive impact on coping at work, work efficiency, combining work and leisure time, the meaningfulness of work and recovery from work.

“Flexible remote work practices are also the best way to promote well-being at work. It should be noted, however, that hybrid work does not suit everyone, even though the majority of salaried employees consider it to be the optimal option,” Kopra specifies.

From the perspective of well-being, remote work also involves risks that can at worst be related to substance abuse problems and hidden work capacity risks. Working alone reduces the communal experience and increases the growth of other psychosocial risks. For this reason alone, the employer and personnel should establish a common vision of how to combine in-office and remote work so that the hybrid model serves all parties in the best possible way.

Further information:

Anna Lavikkala, Labour Market Director, Finnish Commerce Federation, tel. +358 (0)40 040 6088, anna.lavikkala(at)kauppa.fi

Joonas Kopra, Contract Branches Manager, YTN, tel. +358 50 407 4876, Joonas.kopra(at)ytn.fi

The Finnish Commerce Federation is the voice of commerce, the largest industry in society. We connect the entire industry from retail and wholesale trade to digital commerce. We negotiate trade employment agreements and industrial policy solutions. We work to ensure that commerce and services in Finland thrive and succeed in tough international competition. www.kauppa.fi

The commerce sector is the largest industry when measured by gross domestic product and the number of employed persons. The commerce sector employs about 291,000 people, about 15,000  of whom are salaried employees organised in YTN member associations. Senior salaried employees in the commerce sector include economists, Bachelors of Business Administration, engineers, graduate engineers and lawyers. Typical positions are, for example, managers in sales, purchases, marketing, personnel or customer service, regional directors and sales engineers. www.ytn.fi