Occupational health nurse in Finland: tasks and sick notes

Can an occupational health nurse write a sick leave certificate in Finland? Yes, for short absences: an occupational health nurse can give a certificate for a short absence if the workplace practice or the collective agreement accepts it as a reliable account. The law sets no fixed limit in days for a nurse's certificate, and Kela's sickness allowance requires a doctor's certificate A or statement B or BC. Otherwise the occupational health nurse does preventive occupational health care: workplace surveys, health examinations, advice and work ability support.

What does an occupational health nurse do?

An occupational health nurse is a public health nurse who works in occupational health care. The nurse can take part in the workplace survey, health examinations, guidance and follow-up, depending on the provider's practices. The tasks come from section 12 of the Occupational Health Care Act, which does not divide them by job title: the work is done together with the occupational health doctor and other professionals.

How to prepare is covered in the guides to the workplace survey and the occupational health action plan.

Can an occupational health nurse write a sick leave certificate?

An occupational health nurse can give a certificate for a short absence if the workplace practice or the collective agreement accepts it as a reliable account. Under chapter 2, section 11 of the Employment Contracts Act, an employee must on request give the employer a reliable account of their incapacity for work. The law does not list the accepted accounts, so in short absences the employer and the collective agreement define what is accepted.

People also ask whether an occupational health nurse can prescribe sick leave. A nurse does not order an absence but gives a certificate based on a professional assessment. The employer decides, on the basis of its own instructions and the collective agreement, whether it accepts the certificate as an account. Contacting a nurse does not guarantee a certificate either.

A nurse's certificate is not enough for Kela: a sickness allowance application needs certificate A or statement B or BC, which are given by a doctor. A nurse's certificate does not replace them. When sickness allowance is claimed for an absence, a doctor's certificate or statement is therefore needed.

If self-certification of sick leave is enough at your workplace, a certificate may not be needed at all. Submitting and handling certificates is covered in the guide to the sick leave certificate, and pay in the guide to sick pay.

Qualification

The qualification of an occupational health nurse is laid down in section 13 of Government Decree 708/2013. A licensed public health nurse working in occupational health care must have the qualification of a public health nurse and, in addition, at least 15 credits of training in occupational health care within two years of moving into occupational health care tasks.

An occupational health nurse is therefore a licensed public health nurse who has the additional training in occupational health care or completes it within the time limit. The requirements for a doctor are different; they are described in the guide to the occupational health doctor.

Write down your sickness absence policy

The standing of a nurse's certificate depends on the workplace's own practice, so write it into your instructions before the first absence. First check what the collective agreement says.

1. Accepted account: state whether self-certification, a nurse's certificate or a medical certificate is accepted for a short absence.
2. Limits: state how long each account is accepted and when a medical certificate is needed. The limit is the company's own practice or a term of the collective agreement, not a rule of law.
3. Reporting and delivery: name who is told about an absence and which protected channel is used to deliver a certificate.
4. Prolonged absence: tell how the employee contacts occupational health and that Kela's sickness allowance requires a doctor's certificate or statement.

Go through the instructions with occupational health, so that employees, managers and occupational health follow the same practice.

Frequently asked questions