THL's change negotiations come to an end - 93 employees to be dismissed, number of personnel to decrease by 180

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare's (THL) change negotiations have been concluded. THL achieved the target of EUR 12 million in annual savings during the 2024–2027 spending limits period. As a result of the negotiations, 93 people will be dismissed. The total number of staff reductions is estimated at 180. The rest of the cut will be achieved when people retire or fixed-term positions come to an end.

In the negotiation proposal, the employer estimated the adjustment would require a reduction of at most 200 person-years, which is about 15 per cent of THL's personnel.

"The change process has been taxing for the entire staff. However, we were able to reduce the number of personnel to be dismissed substantially during the negotiations, which is a good thing," says Mika Salminen, Director General of THL.

The adjustment planned for economic and production-based reasons is so extensive that it will apply extensively to the institutions various functions. Substantial reductions will be implemented e.g. at the Department of Health Security, which was responsible for managing the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Public Health and Welfare, which focuses on monitoring the health and welfare of the population and on promoting health, and the Department of Knowledge Brokers, which steers and develops information management and production in social welfare and healthcare.

The reductions are significant and THL will therefore also change its organisational structure.

"The organisational reform will promote the implementation of our new strategy, which focuses on a healthy population, equal services and a safe society. The basic pillars of the strategy are high-quality information resources, effective RDI activities and our competent and proactive personnel," Salminen continues.

THL launched the change negotiations, which applied to the entire institute's personnel in February. The reason for this was a large cut in state budget funding and, at the same time, new tasks assigned to the institution and the related reorganisation procedures.

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