When a company hires its first employee, occupational healthcare comes up quickly. Many small business owners hesitate, though: what must be arranged, what is worth buying and how much does it cost? Here I go through the basics from a doctor's point of view.
What the law requires
The Occupational Health Care Act obliges every employer to arrange preventive occupational healthcare for its employees. The obligation applies from the very first employee and does not depend on the length of the employment or the working hours.
Statutory occupational healthcare includes, among other things:
- a written agreement with an occupational healthcare provider
- a workplace survey, which assesses the strain and hazard factors of the work
- an action plan, drawn up on the basis of the survey and updated regularly
- health examinations as needed, for example in work that involves a particular risk of illness
- supporting working capacity and cooperating when an employee's working capacity is at risk
Preventive occupational healthcare therefore does not mean seeing a doctor when you fall ill. Its purpose is to keep the work and the working environment healthy.
Medical care is voluntary
An employer may also choose to arrange GP-level medical care. It is not compulsory, but for most employees it is the most visible part of occupational healthcare: when a cold, back pain or exhaustion is a worry, help is available without queuing at the public health centre.
For a small company, the scope of medical care is often the biggest cost question. It is worth deciding in advance what the agreement covers: doctor's appointments only, laboratory tests, imaging, or specialist consultations as well.
Kela reimburses part of the costs
Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, reimburses the employer for part of the necessary and reasonable costs of occupational healthcare. Reimbursements are claimed afterwards for each financial year, and they have annually confirmed maximum amounts per employee. The reimbursement for preventive activities is generally higher than for medical care.
Check the current reimbursement percentages, maximum amounts and conditions on Kela's employer pages, as Kela confirms the maximum amounts each year.
How a small company gets started
- Choose a provider. Compare pricing, accessibility and how an employee actually gets to care.
- Make a written agreement. Define the statutory part and any medical care in it.
- Agree on the workplace survey. In a small company it can be light, but it has to be done.
- Tell your employees. The best agreement is useless if nobody knows whom to contact.
Where Treat helps
Treat does not replace occupational healthcare. It is a first step alongside it: the employee describes their concern in their own words, and a licensed doctor usually assesses the situation within minutes during service hours, every day from 08:00 to 20:00. Many matters are resolved directly, and when tests or an in-person appointment are needed, the doctor directs the employee to follow-up care through whatever they have access to: public healthcare, a private provider, occupational healthcare or insurance cover.
For a small company this means fewer unnecessary visits and faster help for employees, without having to change the existing agreement.
This article is general information and does not replace legal advice or an individual healthcare assessment.