A skilled and motivated staff, characterised by well-being, is the university's most important asset and a precondition for its success.
Workplace well-being is created at the workplace, every day. It is an experience of both the individual and the work community. Workplace well-being is something that is created together: it is rooted in leadership and management, skills and expertise, management of work, and participation and inclusion.
Action programme on workplace well-being
The Finnish universities’ operating environment is constantly changing. From the university’s leadership and staff members, being able to function in a constant state of change calls for an ability to accept new situations and to actively develop the workplace community’s ways of doing things.
The University of Eastern Finland has been implementing an action programme on workplace well-being since the beginning of 2017. The objectives of the programme are to:
- to improve the working environment in order to maintain the work ability of the staff;
- to prevent physical and mental adverse health effects resulting from work and the workplace; and
- to promote effectiveness at work.
Practical measures
The programme is rooted in the idea that through its operating culture, it is possible for the university to promote the well-being of its staff while also promoting its own success. The programme is being jointly implemented by the senior management, immediate supervisors and employees.
The practical measures of the programme include:
- Acknowledging good performance and thanking for it
- Encouraging recovery
- Equality
- Managing problem and crisis situation
- Encouragement
Staff benefits
We offer many benefits for our staff. Here you will find the key benefits to which you are entitled as a university employee.
University of Eastern Finland promotes the well-being of its employees by offering extensive preventive occupational health care and general practitioner level medical care. The university’s occupational accident insurance policies cover all employees also during their work-related travel.
The Sykettä sports concept offers extensive opportunities for sports and exercise at a very affordable price. Moreover, a sports Afternoon is organised once each semester.
The University of Eastern Finland is offering a tax-free bike benefit as a part of an employee’s overall salary. By supporting commuting by bike, the university wants to encourage employees to make more sustainable choices and to take care of their wellbeing. The employee’s employer-provided bicycle benefit is by nature a bike use benefit and it is tax free up to 1 200 euros per year. With the bike benefit employees can save about 20–30 % from the bike’s original retail price.
Affordable lunch is available for employees to buy in the campus restaurants and cafeterias.
The university offers extensive opportunities for competence development, ranging from new employee orientation to retirement coaching. The focus is on digital and pedagogical competence, as well as on leadership training.
The UEF staff card entitles its holder to discount in several stores. A list of the stores giving discount can be found in Heimo intranet.
The units organise workplace well-being activities for their employees, for which the university recommends a budget of 100 euros/person. UEF also has networks devoted to the development of workplace well-being (Tyke) and workplace ergonomics (Erggi).
Constantly evolving digital working environment and ergonomic furniture.
The programme focuses on recovery, acknowledging achievements, addressing difficult situations, and giving feedback.
For instance, the Pedal for Your Porridge Campaign in the first week of June offers free breakfast porridge for employees arriving to work by bike.
