Työterveyshuolto

If you have even one employee in an employment or public-service relationship, you must arrange statutory preventive occupational health care (ehkäisevä työterveyshuolto). Providing medical treatment (sairaanhoito) is voluntary.

Preventive care includes a workplace survey (työpaikkaselvitys), advice, first-aid readiness, and health check-ups when the work involves a special risk of illness. You need a written contract with a provider, and a written action plan that is reviewed every year. Employees must be able to see the contract.

Kela can reimburse part of the necessary costs when the legal conditions are met. Kela’s pages state 60% for preventive care and 50% for agreed general-practitioner-level treatment, of accepted reasonable costs. Keep the contract, the workplace survey and the action plan. Employers apply after the financial year; a self-employed person applying for their own care follows Kela’s six-month rule from payment.

Occupational health care for you as an entrepreneur is voluntary. If you have YEL (or MYEL), you can arrange care for yourself and apply to Kela for reimbursement under the same percentage rules, with a contract, action plan and workplace survey.

Practical advice

Sign the contract before the first employee starts, or as soon as you hire.

If the work involves special health risks, ask the provider which check-ups are required.

File the Kela claim on time. Missing the deadline means no reimbursement.

Where to seek advice

The best place to start is Kela (occupational health care): https://www.kela.fi/tyoterveyshuolto-yrittaja

Entrepreneur’s own care and reimbursement: this page. Employer’s statutory care: https://www.kela.fi/tyonantajat-ehkaiseva-tyoterveyshuolto and https://tyosuojelu.fi/tyoterveys-ja-tapaturmat/tyoterveyshuolto . Työterveyslaitos (ttl.fi) publishes practical guides for workplaces.

All the necessary links

kela.fi/tyoterveyshuolto-yrittaja — Entrepreneur.
kela.fi — Employer reimbursement conditions.
tyosuojelu.fi — Duty to arrange care.
ttl.fi — Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.