Employees are required to be back to offices and the occupational physician may not prescribe a teleworking permit

More and more The employer draws up rules to limit the number of telework.

The city of Vantaa, for example updated their teleworking practices so that all employees must be at least half of the working time in the workplace.

However, many employees feel that coming to the office and working is not suitable for them. Can occupational health get a statement that would justify telework?

In principle, you can’t, says Terveystalo’s leading occupational health doctor Anita Riipinen.

“Where an employee works is an administrative decision. Occupational health recommendations are based solely on health perspectives,” says Riipinen.

Occupational doctor It can be recommended, for example, to find a more peaceful place for work or otherwise arrange work differently if you require a person’s working capacity.

However, the final decisions on organizing work are made by the employer.

The various arrangements are reviewed together with the employee, the employer and the occupational health doctor in the work capacity negotiations. According to Riipinen, the negotiations are very common.

« For example, in mood problems, we would not take a stand on the job of occupational health, but it is left to the employer’s reflection on how to lighten the work. In this case, teleworking can be a solution, » says Riipinen.

Only in a few In situations, teleworking can be recommended purely for health reasons, says Riipinen.

The most common situation is that for a short flu, the occupational physician recommends that work can be started remotely on a feverless day.

Another situation where Riipinen sees that teleworking could be recommended is the impaired of immune defense. For example, with an employee in a cancer treatment, it could be agreed that work during the intermediate weeks of cytostatic treatments can be done remotely from home, if possible.

However, in both situations, the employer will make the final decision on whether telecommuting is allowed or the days are considered sick leave.

Occupational Health Institute Remote and Hybrid Finding Researcher Virpi Ruohomäki notes that occupational health care and doctors have a variety of guidelines in the recommendation of telework.

The general rule is that the employer is responsible for the working conditions and safety of the workplace. Therefore, the employer must ensure that the work can be done in the agreed location.

In Ruohomäki’s view, it is good to go through telecommuting requests in occupational health negotiations.

Teleworking can support the employee’s ability to work so he can return and continue working after illness or injury, Ruohomäki adds.

« There may be obstacles to health work, but solutions can be found by discussing together and editing work. You don’t have to go to the line of confrontation and forcing. »

Grasshopper says that employers should gradually change their teleworking practices so that employees have time to adapt to changes.

Forcing employees to the office creates conflicts and a lack of confidence if the change is not well managed and the employees are not listened to, Ruohomäki points out.

“It is important to treat everyone’s fair treatment and justify the decisions. However, it is good to take into account individual differences and constraints,” says Ruohomäki.

According to Ruohomäki, flexibility from teleworking rules would be particularly useful for part -time and elderly workers in order for them to work and do not interrupt his or her career.

« I would encourage young people to encourage people to the office, because by observing and discussing, you learn a lot of concrete and tacit knowledge that does not pass there for telecommuting. »