Supervisor’s own well-being

The role of a supervisor includes more than just obligations. The supervisor also has rights aimed at supporting actions in different situations and ensuring that the supervisor does not experience harmful workloads in their own tasks.

The supervisor as the employer’s substitute

The employer can delegate some of its duties under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to a substitute, who, in practice, is a person working in a supervisory position. This is based on Section 16 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The supervisor’s own workload is reduced when the tasks and responsibilities are clear.

When a supervisor carries out tasks covered by the responsibility of the employer or the employer’s representative, the tasks, responsibilities and obligations of the supervisor must be defined in sufficient detail. The aforementioned may vary depending on factors such as the line of business, the size of the workplace and work arrangements. The employer must also ensure that the supervisor has sufficient qualifications and competence to perform their duties. The supervisor must have the appropriate prerequisites for performing their duties, such as financial and personnel resources and operating instructions.

Tasks, responsibilities and rights

It is important for supervisors to know their job description, authority, responsibilities and rights. This way, hazardous situations caused by unclear tasks and the supervisor’s own harmful workload can be avoided in the work community. It is important to define the occupational safety and health responsibilities related to the tasks in writing, for example, in the occupational safety and health policy. The supervisor’s unawareness of an individual task being their responsibility does not necessarily relieve them of their responsibility. Therefore, the supervisor must also acquaint themselves with what the supervisory role requires of them.

The supervisor’s responsibilities include in particular

• up-to-date analysis and assessment of work hazards (risk assessment)
• providing instruction, guidance and orientation to employees
• reviewing employees’ obligations and rights
• planning, dimensioning and monitoring the work and tasks
• ensuring sufficient order and tidiness related to the work, for example, by providing instructions and drawing up common practices
• monitoring the working methods and working environment
• monitoring the state of the work community and employee safety and health, for example, through discussions and surveys
• addressing issues, such as non-compliance with instructions or inappropriate behaviour at work
• taking into account the employees’ personal characteristics, such as age and ageing, gender, competence, work ability, workload and life situation
• discussing concerns related to the smooth flow of work, workload situation or work ability with the employee
• reporting observed deficiencies to a superior, unless the supervisor can change, resolve or fix the matter or situation themselves
• developing occupational health and safety together with the personnel in occupational health and safety co-operation.

Discussions with the occupational safety manager, occupational safety officer and your own supervisor help clarify and delimit the role of the supervisor.

The responsibilities of the supervisor described above are based in particular on Occupational Safety and Health Act (738/2002)(opens in a new window, you will be directed to another service), Sections 8 Employers’ general duty to exercise care, 9 Occupational safety and health policy, 10 Analysis and assessment of hazards at work, 12 Design of the working environment, 13 Work design, 14 Instruction and guidance to be provided for employees, 25 Avoiding and reducing workload factors and 28 Harassment. 

Other key regulations from the point of view of working as a supervisor include:

• acts on employment contracts applicable to the sector, such as the Employment Contracts Act (55/2001) and the Act on Civil Servants in Wellbeing Services Counties (304/2003)
• acts on co-operation applicable to the sector, such as the Co-operation Act (1333/2001) and the Act on Co-operation Between Employers and Personnel in Municipalities and Wellbeing Services Counties (449/2007)
• working time regulations
• Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces (44/2006)
• Occupational Health Care Act (1383/2001).

Co-operation

The purpose of co-operation between the employer and the personnel is to enable the personnel to participate in the development of working conditions at the workplace. Co-operation in occupational safety and health matters is based on Section 17 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

At best, well-functioning co-operation facilitates the supervisor’s own work and coping. When there is a psychologically safe atmosphere in the work community where interaction is appreciative and the personnel participates constructively in joint development, various situations that could contribute to a harmful workload for the supervisor can be avoided. It is important for the supervisor to develop and maintain good co-operation in the work community. Open interaction and working together support good flow of information in both directions and facilitate decision-making that is part of the role of a supervisor.

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Ensuring and developing competence

A supervisor’s task is to manage processes and matters as well as people both as a group and as individuals. As the employer’s representative, they are responsible for the occupational safety and well-being at work of the personnel in their area of responsibility.

The employer must ensure that the supervisor receives sufficient orientation training, but the supervisor also has a responsibility to maintain their own professional skills and management competence. Lacking competence in relation to the requirements of the work can contribute to a harmful psychosocial workload.

In the orientation of supervisors, it must be ensured that the supervisor knows their responsibilities and rights. It is particularly important to ensure that the supervisor is aware of their statutory duties as well as their tasks and rights based on the internal regulations and instructions of the workplace. It is also important for the supervisor to be familiar with the collective agreements applicable at the workplace.

How can supervisors be supported at the workplace?

The role of a supervisor includes more than just obligations. The supervisor also has rights aimed at supporting actions in different situations and ensuring that the supervisor does not experience harmful workloads in their own tasks. These include the right to

• sufficient orientation and other competence development(you will be directed to another service)
• harmonised operating methods and leadership practices, incl. procurement policies for substitutes
• support from one’s own supervisor
• support from the work community and supervisor colleagues
• an adequately precise job description and the definition of statutory obligations
• the workload and resource factors related to the supervisor’s role being recognised at the workplace
• one’s own supervisor taking necessary action in situations where there is a concern related to the supervisor’s harmful workload.

The workload management of a supervisor is also facilitated by

• regular discussions with one’s own supervisor about the operating methods, expectations related to the supervisor’s role, what things are good and what needs to change in the work
• regular discussions with the employees on the work
• agreed substitution arrangements during absences of the supervisor
• discussions with the occupational safety manager(you will be directed to another service). The occupational safety manager can support the supervisor by, for example, giving tips on what actions to take in different situations and explaining what operating models are used at the workplace.
• discussions with the occupational safety representative(you will be directed to another service). The occupational safety representative can support the supervisor by clarifying cause and effect together with the supervisor and employees, for example.
• guidance and counselling provided by occupational health care.

How should the supervisor act if they themselves experience harmful workloads?

It is important that a person working in a supervisory position recognises their own workload situation and discusses it with their own supervisor, if necessary. Once the supervisor’s superior has become aware of the harmful workload, they must investigate the factors behind the workload situation and implement possible actions to resolve the situation by way of work arrangements, for example.

If necessary, occupational health care must be contacted in order to assess work ability.

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Seija Moilanen

Senior Specialist

seija.moilanen@ttk.fi

050 331 0719

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Published by:

The Centre for Occupational Safety, Local Government and County Group

Content:

Eija Kemppainen, The Finnish Union of Practical Nurses, SuPer; Anne Ranta, Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL; Jussi Rantanen, Tehy; Marjaana Walldén, The Local Government and County Employers KT; Seija Moilanen, The Centre for Occupational Safety

Release year:

2025

Sectors:

Cross-cutting topics

Topic:

Leadership Occupational Health and Safety Orientation Supervisor Well-being at work Workload

Formats:

Digital publication