The Government’s cutbacks hit employees of health and social care companies: Attendo’s large staff reductions are a prelude to a rundown of services

The change negotiations of Attendo have ended with a bleak outcome. The company is going to terminate the contracts of 150 employees. Attendo is one of Finland’s largest corporate groups in the care sector. Attendo has announced already earlier the outcome of change negotiations at Kauniala hospital, where 149 people lost their jobs.

These terminations reflect the Finnish Government’s decisions to cut funding of health and social care services by billions of euros. The terminations at Attendo are just a prelude to a rundown of social welfare and health care services. These staff reductions endanger services that are necessary for people’s rights.

JHL’s Senior Bargaining Specialist Laura Tuominen is disappointed in heavy staff cuts.

– It is irresponsible to further cut back staff who are already struggling to cope. And at the same time need for services is growing. Delivering the services requires enough professionals in both nursing work and assisting and support service work.

One thing where the grim situation in the private social welfare and health care sector can be seen is the sharply growing number of occupational accidents. This sector is developing in a different direction compared to other significant sectors. This information is available in the statistics of the Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center (in Finnish).

Wellbeing services counties have already been forced to cut services and reduce staff. Purchasing services from private health and social care companies is also reduced as a result of to the Government’s cutback policy.

Lowering the minimum staffing level involves obvious risks

For those who use these services, all this means even longer waiting times for care. The situation is contradictory for example in elderly care: the need for care increases, but at the same time access to care is delayed because there are not enough employees and resources. Clients in 24-hour care and home care are older and in poorer condition than before, and this makes the work more demanding.

Furthermore, Attendo and other service providers in elderly care are also getting ready to implement the Government’s decision that lowers the minimum staffing level in 24-hour care in the beginning of the year 2025. The minimum staffing level will change from 0.65 to 0.6 employees per client. This seems to be leading to cutbacks among the current staff.

The Social Affairs and Health Committee of the Parliament of Finland has stated that the staffing level in 24-hour care must always be determined considering the residents’ individual service needs, the quality of services and the safety of the clients (click here to read the report in Finnish). This will not change even though the minimum staffing level changes.

The minimum staffing level of the Act on Services for Older Persons is not meant to be applied categorically. According to the act, staffing level must be higher than the minimum if the residents’ service needs require that. The President of Trade Union JHL, Håkan Ekström, demands that wellbeing services counties and companies pay proper attention to this.

– The minimum staffing level must not become the maximum. The wellbeing services counties’ outsourcing agreements cannot be made so that care is systematically priced based on the minimum staffing level, Ekström stresses.

More information:

• Håkan Ekström, President of JHL, 040 828 2865
• Laura Tuominen, Senior Bargaining Specialist, 050 4092 460