Workplace Culture for the Happiest Country in the World

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In The World Happiness Report (published last week) Finland has been rated the happiest country for 2023 and it's no wonder why! With free universal?childcare provision, gender equality-focused policies, a focus on work-life balance, and more - there are lessons to be learned from this small yet powerful nation on how we can create productive and positive work environments.

So, in this edition of The Culture Edit, we look at some of the factors that contribute to workplace culture for the happiest country in the world. First though, here’s what the report tells us in general about happiness and the workplace:?

• Employment and the workplace environment have a significant impact on happiness levels.??
• People in countries with more secure regulations, open-minded policies, and progressive workplaces tend to be happier than those in countries with less protective labour market regulations.??
• Working conditions such as trust and fairness can have positive effects on employees' well-being, leading to increased satisfaction, psychological health, and overall happiness.?
• Personal relationships and strong social connections are essential for happiness, with those living in smaller cities typically reporting higher levels of satisfaction than those living in large cities.?
• A sustainable work-life balance is key to achieving lasting happiness and fulfillment, with people who can manage their work stressors experiencing fewer negative effects on their mental health.?

Insights from Finland??

Finland has become a global leader in creating policies that put wellbeing and happiness at the heart of their citizens’ lives. In the workplace, there's also a focus on social connections, trust, and nature - all of which contribute to people's health and happiness. Here's a look at how:

Parental leave -

To advance gender equality and provide an equal footing for all citizens, Finland's parental leave system is one of the most generous in Europe and provides greater flexibility for families looking to balance work and family life. Starting in 2021, parents are entitled to a total of 320 days of parental leave, with 164 days allocated to each parent. Making it possible to share the parental allowance entitlement equally between the parents (we're huge fans of this). Unsurprisingly, this is significantly more than the UK's current system, which provides up to 52 weeks of maternity leave and 2 weeks of paternity leave.?

In addition, the Finnish government pays out a pregnancy allowance for 40 working days as well as a parental allowance for 320 working days. This helps ensure that families have financial security during this period. Parents also have the freedom to choose how they want to take care of their children. Whether it’s staying at home or finding a job that allows them to balance their commitments, the government is dedicated to ensuring that parents are protected from potential dismissal by guaranteeing them a job for up to three years after the birth of their child.?

Once the child is old enough to attend school, the government also provides a daycare subsidy of up to 160 days, making it easier for parents to work through part-time work or flexible working arrangements.??

Finland's efforts towards supporting parents have helped create an environment where gender equality is better respected and encouraged within the workplace. According to the latest Working Life Barometer survey, Finland is one of the countries with the highest levels of awareness about gender equality in Europe. With 80% of Finns agreeing that equal opportunities for men and women in the job market are an important part of a good working life.?

Flexible working -

Finland has embraced agile working hours for decades. Remote working is now also becoming the norm.?

According to a 2020 survey by Eurofound, 97% of Finnish companies offer their employees some form of flexible working hours. This is a huge increase from the mid-90s when the Working Hours Act was first introduced, allowing Finns to adjust their working day by starting or finishing up to three hours earlier or later than usual through flexitime. In addition, under the Working Hours Act, the ‘working hours bank’ is also an arrangement where an employee can save excess hours worked, such as overtime hours, and convert these into time off for later use.?

With these regulations in place, companies have witnessed the link between flexible working and improved well-being, so it looks like Finland will continue leading the way when it comes to flexible working for years to come.?

Trust and autonomy -

As well as trusting employees to work flexibly and remotely, Finnish workplaces also recognise the value of employee autonomy in how employees get their work done. It’s said to be a country where there is a flat hierarchy, with decentralised power allowing for more autonomy among employees. This means supervisors do not tend to monitor their employees' work continually but rather make sure that they have the resources they need to succeed. The flexibility in task assignments encourages people to be more creative, exploring new ways of coming up with solutions - so there's less scope for micro-management.

By encouraging employee trust and autonomy, employees benefit from personal growth too.

Generous leave days

Finland's leave policies are designed to promote employee wellbeing and ensure that everyone can take time off when needed. For example, Finland offers its workers a generous 34 days of paid leave every year, one of the most generous packages in Europe.??

Many employees receive four weeks of paid leave each summer (yep that's right). This practice is so common that it's become a part of the Finnish way of life. The four-week holiday period usually begins in late June and lasts until late August. During this time, many Finns take advantage of the long days and warm weather to explore their country or travel abroad.?

Companies see leave days as an important part of promoting employee wellbeing, not just by giving them time off but also allows people to fully rest and recharge before returning to work (who wouldn't want that?).??

Stimulus through nature

Many Finnish companies take advantage of the calming and inspiring effects of nature by locating their offices near natural areas. It’s become normal practice for companies to hold outdoor meetings and team-building activities in wooded regions, allowing employees to get out of the office and soak up the benefits of being exposed to natural elements.??

From fresh perspective, to unstructured thinking, and improved moods, nature also provides opportunities for contemplation and reflection to reduce stress levels.?All hail the great outdoors!

In summary?

All these factors and more combine to create one of the happiest countries in the world, it's clear that there is so much to learn from this small but mighty nation when it comes to creating happy and healthy workplaces.

Which would make the biggest difference to you?

For more reasons on the importance of creating a positive work environment, check back to our previous edition of The Culture Edit; Why Culture??

#HappyHQ?#PeopleFirstCulture?#CompanyCulture?#HR?#futureofwork?

The World Happiness Report details the methodology used to measure global happiness levels. This report draws on Gallup polls taken in 156 countries, which asked respondents to rate their life satisfaction on a scale of 0-10. It analyses indicators such as healthy life expectancy, gross domestic product, and personal freedom. The results are used to create an index score for each country, which is used to compare overall well-being levels between nations.?