Käytämme evästeitä tarjotaksemme paremman käyttökokemuksen ja henkilökohtaista palvelua. Suostumalla evästeiden käyttöön voimme kehittää entistä parempaa palvelua ja tarjota sinulle kiinnostavaa sisältöä. Sinulla on hallinta evästeasetuksistasi, ja voit muuttaa niitä milloin tahansa. Lue lisää evästeistämme.
People talk about work often and everywhere – in the media, on social media, at work and at home. When we talk about work, is our tone solution-oriented and strength-focused, or do we focus on the problems?
Work is one of the most common discussion topics in our daily lives. We talk about it in many ways, for many reasons, with many people and in many different contexts.
Public discussion, daily talking at the workplace and the individual’s own story are intertwined – and they all have a huge impact on our working life.
In the work community, psychological safety promotes trust and the courage to develop things.
“When we are aware of the importance of the working life discourse, we can understand better how our discussion affects others and how we can affect the content or tone of our discussion,” says Liisa Hakala, Director of the Department for Work and Gender Equality at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
At the level of society, the discussion on working life is driven by journalists, politicians, the authorities, labour market organisations and experts.
”A high-quality and productive working life is the foundation of society’s well-being, but does this perspective receive enough attention in political debate and the media? Does our working life discourse create faith in the future and opportunities or does it stir up desperation? And how do educational institutions talk about work and working life to young people?” Hakala asks.
The second level of working life discussions is at the workplace, between managers, supervisors, personnel and shop stewards.
”In work communities, working life discussions can be empty speeches or, alternatively, engage people in genuine dialogue. The purpose of the discussion and its connection to practical actions determines to a great extent the atmosphere created at the workplace.”
Hakala emphasises that trust is built by genuinely hearing and appreciating different perspectives.
”It is important not to sweep any problems under the carpet, but to talk about them openly without blame and think about solutions together. In the work community, psychological safety promotes trust and the courage to develop things.
”Many people think that my work is dirty and hard. For me, however, it opens up new opportunities in life because I get to learn practical things and new perspectives. I am in my dream job, even though others might think it sounds strange.” Excavator driver, 21
The third level of working life discussion is the voices of individuals at home, among family members and loved ones.
”We talk about our work at home to our children and spouse, to our friends or by ourselves. Our words reflect our own attitudes and values to people who are just entering working life,” says Hakala.
Organisational psychologist and author Jaakko Sahimaa has analysed working life discourse at a practical level at different workplaces. During his Koeaika (”Probationary Period”) project, he worked at 12 different workplaces in one year. He is continuing his explorations in the Työkylässä (”Work Visit”) project, with the aim of trying one hundred different jobs.
The emotional climate of the work community is like a potluck party, where everyone brings something to offer.
He has noticed that when people talk about working life in general, the tone is often negative and the discussion focuses on concerns, fears, threats and difficulties.
”But when they talk about their own work and everyday life, they are more positive. Many say that things are fine at their own workplace,” Sahimaa says.
He points out that negative feelings related to work are natural and we should be able to talk about them. A common feeling at work is frustration, which can turn into either energy to develop or cynicism. Challenges only arise if the work community stays in the negative mood.
”The emotional climate of the work community is like a potluck party, where everyone brings something to offer. Even if the table is full of delicious food, a jar of soured baltic herring can ruin the mood for everyone. Similarly, a single cynical voice can make the atmosphere at the workplace gloomy,” Sahimaa illustrates.
Highlighting successes and talking about them brings joy to the work community. A good atmosphere, collegial support and receiving appreciation raise everyone’s mood.
Sahimaa also emphasises the importance of professional pride. It gives strength and meaning to employees. If, on the other hand, an employee’s profession or work is not valued and it is talked about in a degrading tone, they can feel shame can that burdens the employee.
”It is important to be proud of what you do and the skills you acquire in your work. This is an important protective factor in working life,” says Sahimaa.
”Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about remote in public and at workplaces, including our workplace. We have welcomed the opportunity to work where we want with open arms. Many people who are approaching the end of their career have said that this flexibility is the most important thing that helps them to cope.” Service Manager, 63
The WORK2030 programme included in the Government Programme analysed working life discourse in the media in 2019 and 2023.
The hypothesis was that the discourse would be negative, but a more detailed analysis revealed most of the publications to be neutral or even positive.
”Journalists write about working life in a very responsible way. However, the stories often start with a problem and not always end up with solutions. I would like to see more examples of how the problems have been solved,” Hakala says.
It is crucial to bring out more positive perspectives and successes and increase confidence in the future.
She points out that when talking about wellbeing at work, it would be important to highlight all factors that affect wellbeing: fair management, the functioning of the work community, the content and organisation of work, competence, opportunities to influence one’s own work and work ability.
”Perhaps negativity sells, but it is crucial to bring out more positive perspectives and successes and increase confidence in the future.
“In my field, working life discussions are a mix of uncertainty and fear of redundancies, gratitude for continued work and a cautious hope that the mandatory reforms can also bring something good.” Media Producer, 54
Sahimaa hopes that the working life discourse in newspapers, on television and on social media should be based more strongly on research instead of individual examples. For example, if a person is given notice in an unfair way, the case can receive a lot of media attention.
”However, individual cases are not the whole truth. That’s why it’s important to make use of research findings and expertise,” Sahimaa says and adds:
”Both personal stories and statistics have a place in working life discussions.”
Working life discussions should be encouraging and honest.
According to Hakala, working life discussions on social media platforms are often irresponsible without people even trying to assume responsibility for their words. The tone of the discussion can easily become negative, scandalising or demeaning.
”Everyone posting on social media should consider, in particular, what kind of image they want to convey about work to young people and those entering working life. Cynicism or hopelessness can be toxic.
”There are good and bad days, that’s part of our job. However, I often hear from our employees how good they felt coming to work. This is slightly inconsistent with what is being said in public about elderly care.” Service Provider, 41
So what kind of responsible working life discourse should we all strive for? According to Hakala, fact-based, solution-oriented and hopeful.
”Working life discussions should be encouraging and honest. It is important to write and talk in a way that separates opinions from facts. Responsible discussion does not encourage confrontation, but increases connections between people,” Hakala summarises.
”We have a positive and encouraging atmosphere at work. I find it particularly important that my thoughts and ideas are listened to, even though most of my colleagues are much more experienced than I am.” Business Expert, 28
According to Sahimaa, particular attention should be paid to how young employees perceive working life in the midst of all the noise.
”We need optimistic realism. Work is sometimes hard and requires discipline, but at the same time it offers a unique opportunity to grow, learn and do meaningful things together with others.
Sahimaa points out that young people do not have to find their perfect dream job right away, and there may not even be one. Many young people have been lost with their working life for a long time and are trying to find their place – but this can also be the case for older employees. Working life discussions should encourage people to look for new career paths.
“It would be great if working life discussions increased people’s future and working life skills and let them know what kind of competence is needed, how to apply for work and how to remain relevant in the labour market,” Sahimaa thinks.
”Young employees can be encouraged in small everyday encounters, through constructive feedback and genuine appreciation. A safe atmosphere also provides opportunities for critical feedback and professional growth,” says Henna Heinilä, Senior Teacher at Haaga-Helia. Encouraging discussion builds trust and helps to engage young employees in their workplace. ”Positive emotional experiences support the creation of trust
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