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Municipal workers on sick-leave more often than
others Helsingin Sanomat
May 13, 2003 The
number of sick-leave days taken by municipal workers continues to rise
despite the municipalities' efforts to invest in occupational well-being. According to the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, in 2002 the number of days spent off work through illness increased among men and women in all age and professional groups, in both permanent and temporary jobs. Since 1995 the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has collected
information from the absentee registries of ten major cities. Apart from
Helsinki, all the cities with a population over 100,000 were included in
the study. According to the findings, the older age groups fall ill more often than
the younger workers, but the number of absences has increased across the
board. Between 1995 and 2002 the average number of sick-days taken annually by
permanent municipal workers has increased by two. The researchers suspect the work itself can only partly explain the
change. According to the Ministry of Labour occupational barometer study from
2002, municipal employees found their work more exhausting than workers in
the private sector. The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health study
from February this year concluded that poor workplace atmosphere
significantly increases the number of sick leaves taken. "All the participating cities have taken measures to address this
situation. Otherwise these figures could be even more alarming", says
docent Jussi Vahtera from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Of the different professional groups, the most significant increase in
the number of sick-days was found among child minders, home aids, and
practical nurses. One in four of Finland's 57,000 practical nurses says the number one
problem is the shortage of staff. The aging labour force keeps working
with minimum staffing and substitutes are rarely hired. "Out of solidarity towards co-workers, people try to stay at work even when they are off colour, but at some point the body simply gives in", explains representative Minna Holm of the Finnish Federation of Practical Nurses. In Finland one in five employees works in the municipal sector. The
country's 446 municipalities employ a total work force of 422,000
employees. Of these, two thirds work in cities and the rest in rural communities and
municipal coalitions. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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