Well-being through occupational health management

Tekemättömän työn vuosikatsaus, a comparison study on the costs of lost labour input, looks into how successful companies are in occupational health management that aims at personnel well-being. Empower’s investments in preventive measures bore fruit: our absence rate continued to fall, resulting in approximately EUR 200,000 worth of savings in 2017.

In 2017, Empower participated in the Tekemättömän työn vuosikatsaus comparison study that looks into the total costs incurred to Finnish companies by the direct costs of sick leave absences, disability pension contributions (as defined in the Employees Pensions Act), workers' compensation insurance premiums and costs related to the occupational health excess. There were altogether 223 participating companies and this year’s annual review focused on the years 2008–2016. Empower was among the best companies in its industry. In 2016, the costs of lost labour input were 5.98 per cent of the Group’s total wages and salaries and 1.31 percentage points lower than the average for the industry.

In 2011–2016, Empower’s costs of lost labour input in proportion to person-years have decreased by 17 per cent. Significant results have been achieved especially in reducing the costs of sick leave absences. Preventive measures accounted for 58 per cent of Empower’s total costs in 2016, whereas the corresponding figure for the entire industry is usually below 50 per cent.

– We have concentrated on occupational health management and shifted our focus towards preventive measures, says Kirsi-Marja Ura, Senior Vice President, HR, HSE and Communications. In 2017, our absence rate was 3.2 per cent, which is clearly lower than the Finnish average and resulted in approximately EUR 200,000 worth of savings this year. The results show that we have succeeded in targeting the measures correctly and can be very satisfied with the progress achieved. Good personnel well-being makes it possible to achieve good business results.