Finland Times

Berner Oy  got the Finnish National Prize for Innovative Practices in Employment and Social Policy this year for its outstanding contribution that supported the have supported wellbeing at work among older employees and their ability to cope, or their prospects for employment.

 The prime minister, Jyrki Katainen handed the prize worth about EUR 40,000 over to the company authority last week, said a government press release on January 15.

Berner Oy is a family company founded in 1883. It pays particular attention to the wellbeing of its older employees. Berner has drawn up a Seniors Programme, and, as a result, the average age at which employees retire from the company rose to 63.6 in 2011.

The Programme include collaboration between management, supervisors and staff, covers employees who have reached the age of 55. Together with their supervisor, they draw up a career plan that contains an assessment of to what extent their duties, working hours and working conditions need to change.

It  also include health checks, working ability and leave for senior staff. Those between the ages of 58 and 60 can take off five working days, and those over 60 eight days a year. A condition of leave for senior staff is that the employee takes part in a programme to maintain physical capacity organised by the occupational health care unit and the employer.

Background to the National Prize for Innovative Practices in employment and Social Policy

The Finnish National Prize for Innovative Practices in Employment and Social Policy is awarded by the Fund for a National Prize for Innovative Practices in Employment and Social Policy, established by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in association with the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. The award's patron is President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö.

The aim of the prize is to sustain the social dialogue on wellbeing at work among older employees and on their ability to cope, and to create and share new good practices.

The award has now been handed out three times. Previously it was given to Professor Juhani Ilmarinen from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (2008), and to Ruoka-Saarioinen, the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries and the Finnish Metalworkers' Union, who shared it (2010).