Finnish guide promotes non-discrimination strategies in workplaces

The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) has published a guide to promoting non-discrimination in the workplace. This guide includes a ten-point action plan that has been tested in EK’s member companies. Finnish law mandates employers to actively promote equality and prevent discrimination. However, the law alone is insufficient to instigate change within the workplace; clear and committed actions are required.

EK’s expert Katja Leppänen states that while the guide offers helpful measures, it is not exhaustive, as promoting equality and non-discrimination should be tailored to each company’s specific needs. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique context of a workplace to identify necessary and effective measures.

Among the member companies is Yara Finland, which initiated its non-discrimination efforts in 2018 with its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy. Training on diversity and equality began in the company’s Finnish factories and mines in 2021. Tuomas Girsen, the manager of Yara’s Siilinjärvi factory, acknowledges initial confusion surrounding the terminology but notes that understanding has improved significantly.

Yara’s employees report that systematic diversity and equality work alters mindsets as unconscious biases diminish through education. Production engineer Pihla Tuupanen points out that diversity encompasses various traits beyond ethnicity, including personality types. At Yara, non-discrimination is formalized in employment contracts, with employees committing to uphold the company’s ethical principles. Psychological safety has become a natural part of the workplace culture, as it is treated with the same importance as other safety considerations.