Authors

• Pekka, Toni (Keva)
• Perhoniemi, Riku (Keva)

Keywords

employees, employers, job satisfaction, labour relations, local government officers, personnel, religious personnel, supervisors, work-life balance, working conditions, workloads

Abstract

This study charted municipal and church employees' experiences of work conditions and workplace well-being in Finland. The target group of the study comprised Finnish municipal employees insured under the Local Government Pensions Act and employees in parishes, parish unions, cathedral chapters and the Church Council insured under the Evangelical-Lutheran Church Pensions Act. The study was commissioned by Keva, the pension provider for public sector employees in Finland.

The respondents were presented with attitudinal statements and asked to evaluate the extent to which they agreed with these statements. The first statements covered satisfaction with superiors, working climate and work atmosphere, occupational stress and physical workload, receiving feedback, and work processes. Some statements also concerned competence requirements of the job as well as whether the employer encouraged personal development. The respondents were also asked about work ability, work-life balance, and the employer's attitude toward continuing to work after retirement age.

After the attitudinal statements, the respondents were enquired whether they had, within the previous 12 months, experienced violence or harassment by customers/clients or been bullied or treated unfairly at the workplace by colleagues or superiors. Finally, the respondents' views on their personal work well-being and its development within the previous year were charted, and they were asked whether they felt joy in their work and whether they would recommend their workplace to others.

Background variables included field of employment, type of work contract, gender and age group.