Work ability meetings in Finland: prepare and follow up

    Editorial update 26.10.2026

    Editorial: StartHealth (general employer guide, medical review pending)

    A work ability meeting brings the employee, employer and occupational health professional together to find practical ways to continue working or return to work. In Finland, työkykyneuvottelu, työterveysneuvottelu and kolmikantaneuvottelu describe this cooperation, not a meeting for sharing diagnoses with management.

    When is a meeting useful?

    A meeting may help when work ability has decreased, an absence is prolonged or existing adjustments are insufficient. The meeting itself is neither a medical assessment nor a benefit decision. Occupational health assesses the relationship between health and work; the employer explains job requirements and available arrangements; the employee describes what is manageable.

    For a small knowledge-work team, the discussion might concern customer contact, interruptions, working hours or allocation of assignments. Do not promise arrangements the business cannot deliver. If alternative duties need investigation, give someone responsibility and a deadline. An ordinary supportive conversation may be enough for everyday problems; not every difficulty requires a three-party meeting.

    Participants and a support person

    The usual participants are the employee, an employer representative and an occupational health professional. The employer representative needs sufficient knowledge and authority to agree work arrangements. Keep attendance limited to people whose involvement is necessary.

    The employee can ask to bring a support person, such as a shop steward or occupational safety representative. Agree participation and roles with occupational health beforehand. A support person can help with preparation and understanding the outcome without replacing the employee's voice. For remote meetings, ensure privacy and confirm who is present.

    Preparing from three perspectives

    The employee can consider which tasks are manageable, what is difficult and which changes might help. Discuss treatment information separately with occupational health. The employer prepares an accurate description of job requirements, available alternatives and decision-making authority. Occupational health arranges the necessary professional assessment and discusses the proposed topics with the employee.

    The invitation should explain the purpose, participants, time available and draft agenda. Allow questions beforehand. Present proposals requiring investigation as options, not settled decisions. Consider how reallocating tasks would affect colleagues: an adjustment should not silently transfer an unreasonable workload to someone else.

    Agree with the employee beforehand which occupational health information may be discussed and with whom. Attendance is not blanket consent to disclose health information. The employee does not need to tell their manager a diagnosis; focus on work arrangements.

    Employers may process health information only for legally permitted employment-related needs, through designated people, obtaining it from the employee or elsewhere with consent. Store it separately from other personal information. The shared memo must not contain diagnoses, medication or treatment history. Tell colleagues only the practical arrangements necessary for organising work, not the health reasons. Do not record the meeting just in case.

    Agenda, decisions and follow-up

    1. Confirm the purpose, roles and information-sharing boundaries.
    2. Describe job requirements and current possibilities for working.
    3. Compare feasible options, including narrower duties, fewer interruptions or return-to-work arrangements.
    4. Agree each action, owner, start date and trial period.
    5. Set a review date and a contact route if the plan does not work.

    The memo records agreed arrangements and unresolved questions. Participants check that it reflects the discussion. Agree who receives it and where it is stored. If no shared solution emerges, record that neutrally and arrange further investigation. At follow-up, ask whether the change happened and whether it helped work become manageable, not merely whether the meeting took place.

    Looking for experiences: what to expect

    It is understandable to feel apprehensive, particularly when the purpose is unclear. A preparatory conversation with occupational health, a written objective and a support person can make the process easier to understand. Ask for clarification or a break if needed. Other people's experiences cannot predict your outcome. The example below is not a customer account.

    Illustrative example

    An employee in a ten-person office returns after an absence. The participants agree that the employee initially focuses on one project while the manager handles prioritisation. Before implementation, the manager checks colleagues' workloads. They review progress after two weeks and adjust the arrangement if necessary. The memo contains duties and follow-up, not the reasons for absence. This does not mean the same arrangement suits everyone.

    Concerns about dismissal

    The purpose is to find ways to continue working. A meeting is not itself a dismissal decision, but neither does it guarantee continued employment in every situation. Termination on personal grounds has separate legal conditions under Chapter 7 of the Employment Contracts Act. If the invitation or discussion raises employment concerns, request the objective in writing and consult your union or a lawyer. This guide does not determine whether an individual dismissal would be lawful.

    Downloadable company-process template: Work ability meeting preparation checklist

    A three-party discussion between the employee, employer and occupational health looks for practical work arrangements and agrees follow-up. It is not a diagnosis or a dismissal decision. This checklist prepares the company’s meeting protocol, not a named employee’s case.

    Template version 2026-10-26. Blank company-process preparation template, not an individual employee case form. Do not enter names, diagnoses, medication, absence history or identifiable case details. Use the employer’s approved secure process for real employee cases. This template does not store or submit information. Editorial process aid, not individual medical or legal advice; medical review pending.

    To use the template, agree the responsible role, complete fields describing company procedures and confirm unresolved arrangements with occupational health. Do not fill it with a real employee’s case details.

    Protocol responsibilities

    • Company process owner ROLE.
    • Objective-setting method.
    • How invitations explain the purpose.
    • Necessary participant roles.
    • Support-person arrangement to confirm.
    • Role authorised to approve work changes.

    Pre-meeting questions and confidentiality

    • How tasks and work requirements are established.
    • How feasible work arrangements are explored.
    • How effects on colleagues’ work are checked.
    • Confidentiality and information-sharing briefing method.

    Actual notes and follow-up

    • Unresolved protocol questions.
    • Method for all participants to approve the actual memo.
    • Secure distribution method and necessary recipient roles for actual notes.
    • Follow-up responsibility role and contact method.

    The template table prepares these items: Agenda item / purpose; Work requirements and options; Method for agreeing next actions; Owner ROLE; Method for agreeing a date.

    Fictitious example: A fictitious company protocol establishes which role can prioritise workload and how a review date is selected. No employee health details or identifiable case are recorded in this preparation template.

    How do we prepare for a work ability meeting?

    Agree the objective, necessary participant roles, investigation of work options and confidentiality arrangements beforehand.

    What belongs in the actual memo?

    Agreed work-related actions, responsibilities and follow-up, together with basic meeting details. Diagnoses and other confidential health information do not belong in the shared memo. This template is not the actual memo.

    Who joins?

    The employee, employer representative and occupational health representative, plus an agreed support person. Confirm necessary roles and practical arrangements beforehand.

    This is an original StartHealth editorial aid, not a reproduction of a TTL form. The process is informed by TTL guidance, checked 26 October 2026. Suomenkielinen pohja ja opas.

    Next step

    Agree preparation and responsibilities with occupational health. Read about early support and work ability management. Check services to establish how cooperation and meetings are covered by the agreement.

    Sources

    Services and boundariesGross pricesRequest a quote