Who keeps Finland running over Christmas? | News
While many people in different parts of Finland were opening presents, putting turnip dams or fighting over the remote control this Christmas, some people were working in departments, driving trams and answering emergency calls.
Irregular working hours are increasing in Finland. According to Statistics Finland’s estimate, almost 20 percent of employees today do some kind of night work, for example regularly.
Although working at Christmas is becoming more common across the board, irregular working hours are especially common in the healthcare, transportation and service industries.
Raluca Mihalache-Lehto works as a nurse at Kuopio University Hospital and told Yle Uutis that the hardest thing about Christmas work is being away from the family.
“When I was growing up in Romania, Christmas was a very important time because it was about family. We are a very family-oriented society and I will miss my family a lot this Christmas,” he said.
In addition to the fact that working time is difficult personally, Mihalache-Lehto stated that it can also be a challenging time professionally – hospitals usually operate with skeleton staff on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so that as many employees as possible can take a little time off.
“It can be stressful because if you have a very difficult case, sometimes it’s just you and finding a doctor can be difficult because there can be so few people on call,” she explained, adding that this is why it’s essential for people. who work over Christmas to ensure they also get enough rest.
This was a vision Hanna Jokinen Finnish Nurses’ Association (abbreviated as SuPer).
He told Yle Uutis that all employees – and especially nurses – must also take care of themselves.
“Don’t work too much or do too long shifts,” he advised. “If your boss is trying to force you to work extra hours and you’re too tired or just don’t want to, speak up. Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment is always your boss’s responsibility.”
Jokinen is an on-call nurse and union representative, and he has been on call during the festive season. According to his experience, working at Christmas can be challenging in certain respects, but on the other hand very rewarding.
She said she mostly works with elderly patients, for whom Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as they remember times with deceased spouses or lost relatives.
“I often hug if my patients enjoy them, and it’s usually a big deal for them. Healthcare workers may be the only ones who hug or touch the elderly for long periods of time, so holding hands can be a very emotional experience. Christmas has its own special feeling,” Jokinen said.
“It was fun and different”
When Raluca Mihalache-Lehto and Hanna Jokinen treated patients this Christmas, Paavo Mäntylä followed the tram traffic.
Mäntylä works as a traffic controller for the tram network of the city of Tampere and was responsible for the smooth and efficient running of traffic during the festive season, albeit on a reduced schedule.
“My primary task is to make sure that the trams run according to the schedule and that the electrical network is in order and works properly. We also work closely with tram maintenance and track maintenance on a daily basis,” Mäntylä told Yle Uutis.
Mäntylä originally worked as a tram driver on the city’s newly installed network before being promoted to his current position earlier this year, and he was also on duty on Christmas Eve last year driving a tram through the city’s streets.
“It was fun and different to drive a tram in an almost empty city. It’s fun to work at Christmas, it’s a bit different and quiet. And I had Christmas day off, so I had time to see my family and friends then,” he said.
She added that one of her main motivations for working during Christmas is that since she doesn’t have children, it gives her colleagues a chance to spend time with their own little ones. Although there is work to be done, Mäntylä stated that the Christmas atmosphere was still brought to the workplace.
“We have a Christmas tree and other decorations in our control center. We ate mulled wine and gingerbread and listened to Christmas carols,” he said.
Beware of burnout
Maintaining a good atmosphere when working at Christmas time is an essential part of the experience, because being on duty during the festive season can affect the physical and mental health of employees.
Being away from loved ones can further accentuate these problems and even lead to burnout.
“Work burnout is a constant problem in Finnish working life, and many people who experience work burnout, as well as their supervisors and co-workers, report that they have not recognized the symptoms in time,” Research Professor at the Institute of Occupational Health Jari Hakanen said.
The increasing prevalence of burnout has prompted the institute to test a new model developed in Belgium, which aims to identify and prevent burnout. The method scales four symptoms that are considered signs of professional burnout: chronic fatigue, mental distance from work, deterioration of cognitive functions and disturbance of emotional control.
Aki ErikssonA lawyer from the occupational health and safety unit of Finland’s national Avi offices, told Yle Uutis that those working during the Christmas holiday should be careful not to do too much – and ask for help if necessary, also from the local Avi offices themselves.
“Sufficient rest and recovery time is important. If you feel that you are a burden at work, you should discuss the matter with your employer as early as possible,” Eriksson said.
He added that employees should also always be aware of their rights.
“Collective agreements have many provisions about working on public holidays. Each employee should check their own collective agreement at www.finlex.fi (you switch to another service)“, he advised.
More information can also be found on the website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration https://www.tyosuojelu.fi/web/en (you switch to another service).
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