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EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure FI-2020-15/1311 – measures in Finland

Temporarily laid-off employees of passenger airline Finland given an opportunity to work for private healthcare providers

Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy Mehiläiselle lomautuksien ajaksi

Country Finland , applies locally

    • – FI1B1 Helsinki-Uusimaa
Time period Temporary, 10 April 2020 – 05 September 2023
Context COVID-19
Type Company practices
Category Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
– Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers
Author Vera Lindström (Oxford Research) and Eurofound
Measure added 23 October 2020 (updated 09 January 2025)

Background information

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Finnish passenger airline Finnair has had to cut down the number of flights. The company has temporarily laid-off large parts of its employees. In Finland, it is possible for temporarily laid-off employees to work for another employer. Usually it is up to the employee to seek for new employment but Finnair partnered up with private healthcare providers Mehiläinen and Attendo in order to facilitate temporary re-employment of its employees.

Content of measure

Many of the employees of Finnair have previously worked in the long-term care sector or have an education related to this sector. This sector in Finland suffers from a labour shortage, especially in the capital area. Therefore, Finnair has coordinated transfer of employees to some of the largest private healthcare providers in Finland. The transfer is voluntary.

Depending on their background, the transferred employees work as practical nurses, personal care assistants, or in digital services.

For the employees, this is an opportunity to learn something new and get meaningful things to do during the lay-off. In addition, it makes it easier for the laid-off employees to make ends meet as they continue to receive a normal salary instead of an unemployment allowance.

After the lay-offs, employment at with Finnair will continue.

Use of measure

No information available regarding the number of employees borrowed to the social-and healthcare sector. In April 2020, in total 67 employees had announced their interest for such transfer.

Contents

  • Work organisation

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Particular professions
Does not apply to businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Company / Companies
Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

No information available.

Views and reactions

No information available.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      H - Transportation And Storage H51 Air transport
      Q - Human Health And Social Work Activities Q86 Human health activities
      Q87 Residential care activities
    • Occupation (ISCO level 2)
      Personal service workers
      Personal care workers

Sources

  • 10 April 2020: Finnairin henkilöstöä siiryy lomautusten alaksi hoiva-alalle (During the lay-offs some of the employees of Finnair will transferred to the care sector) Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin Finnairin henkilöstöä siirtyy lomautusten ajaksi hoiva-alan tehtäviin During the layoffs, Finnair's personnel will be transferred to care positions (www.finnair.com)

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Temporarily laid-off employees of passenger airline Finland given an opportunity to work for private healthcare providers, measure FI-2020-15/1311 (measures in Finland), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/FI-2020-15_1311.html

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