Mehiläinen's corporate responsibility

Content:

• Mehiläinen values
• Expertise and quality of services
• Privacy protection
• Mehiläinen environmental policy
• Mehiläinen's ESG policy
• Tax footprint
• Mehiläinen's tax policy

Mehiläinen values

• Skills and Knowledge
• Caring and Responsibility
• Partnership and Entrepreneurship
• ​Growth and Development

Expertise and quality of services

Patient safety

Medical skills and experience lie at the core of our physicians' expertise. Our physicians have the latest diagnostic health care technology at their disposal and skilled care personnel to provide them with necessary support. Evidence-based medical science forms the basis for all our medical operations. Mehiläinen is constantly looking for ways to improve patient safety.

Read more about medical expertise and patient safety »

Quality management

Our service is in accordance with the customer and legislation requirements of the ISO 9001 quality standard. As a token of this, Mehiläinen’s operations were certified to this standard by Inspecta in May 2005. In June 2010 Mehiläinen Oy was also awarded the ISO 14001 Environmental Management certificate to attest that our operations comply with the requirements of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard.

This quality certificate is a recognition of the successful and sustained development work we have engaged in. In their final report the certification auditors described Mehiläinen’s services as follows: ’Quality work and the principle of continuous improvement are in a key position in Mehiläinen. The development work has been systematic and the personnel is committed to the work. The work atmosphere is positive and the employees clearly take pride in their job and being part of Mehiläinen.’ What received special recognition was the quality work performed systematically during the last few years. Apart from the fact that the employees’ views are increasingly taken into account, it has also brought a new level of goal-directedness and transparency to company leadership. All Mehiläinen operations, including all facilities and group services with their management systems, are now certified to the ISO 9001:2008 quality certificate.

In June 2010 Mehiläinen Oy was also awarded the ISO 14001 Environmental Management certificate to attest that our operations comply with the requirements of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard. Mehiläinen takes responsibility for the environmental impact of its operations by incorporating environmental aspects in its strategic business planning and responsible procurement policy, as well as by setting up work processes and operating models with a view to minimising the load on the environment. The environmental viewpoint has been made a fixed part of Mehiläinen’s daily management and everyday activities. To Mehiläinen’s customers, the new Environmental Management certificate is a manifestation of the fact that Mehiläinen’s services are based on activities which are environmentally responsible and support sustainable development.

Mehiläinen quality policy

The quality of Mehiläinen’s services and products is constantly developed in line with the principle of continuous improvement. Our company system is based on anticipation and self-directedness, with due consideration to customer and legislative requirements. The system is representative of Mehiläinen’s operating principles. Every member of the Mehiläinen team is charged with producing high-quality results.

Mehiläinen’s quality objectives

• to fulfil the customers’ expectations, needs and requirements
• to increase work satisfaction and safety
• to create a shared way of doing things
• to operate cost-effectively
• to increase competitiveness

Certificates are proof of quality and expertise

A certificate is not only a framed document on the wall but also a reputable indication of expertise in the industry. It indicates that the company has established and incorporated a system that meets the required standards, customer demands, statutory obligations and the goals defined by the organisation.

A certificate is an indication of the company’s level of quality and, with it, the company can send a message to its customers and stakeholders that:

• The organisation’s operating system fulfils the required international standards (Mehiläinen: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and EES+)
• The company is committed to providing high-quality services
• The company is committed to observing environmentally friendly and energy efficient operating models
• Constant development and improvement are key themes of the company’s activities

Privacy protection

Mehiläinen endeavours to maintain the privacy protection of its customers’ case records by employing strict operating procedures and data-protected clinic software.

Case records are stored in an electronic database, access to which is allowed only for authorized health care professionals and even then only when it is necessary for patient care reasons.

An electronic database offers better protection against unauthorized access than a traditional paper one. An electronic system guarantees, in all respects, much better privacy protection than the earlier paper file system.

The retrievability and integrity of data are also key elements in privacy protection. To ensure a high degree of retrievability and ease of access, we have doubled all the essential IT equipment where such data is stored and managed. To prevent data loss, backup copies of all files are created every night on magnetic tapes, which are stored in fireproof facilities, away from the data system.

As far as data protection is concerned, we always abide by the instructions provided by the office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. We also endeavour to use such technological solutions in our data protection system that guarantee the patient the best possible and cost-effective medical care in Mehiläinen.

We devote special attention to proper handling of patient documents. We maintain and store our patient documents in an electronic information system, and we control access of registrars (physicians and medical staff) to our register via personal user IDs and passwords.

The acts and regulations pertaining to health care require registration of patient records dealing with health-care service events and storage of the information in accordance with the applicable regulations.

Below, you can familiarise yourself with the register description and details of the information in the register.

• Data protection description of Mehiläinen Oy’s customer register
• Data protection description of Mehiläinen Oy’s patient register
• Data protection description of Mehiläinen Oy nursing and social services
• Data protection description of Mehiläinen Oy's direct marketing register
• Data protection description of OmaMehiläinen service

Mehiläinen's environmental policy

The underlying principle of Mehiläinen’s environmental policy is the attempt in all our operations to identify and prevent any harmful effects on the environment and thereby to promote the principles of sustainable development. Our values are the basis for our environmental policy; environmental issues are part of Mehiläinen’s operations and management system. We comply with valid environmental legislation and regulations. All Mehiläinen employees are committed to environmentally responsible operations.

At Mehiläinen we aim at developing our operations so as to minimise the amount of waste disposed and the amount of paper and energy used. We take the environmental impact of our business into consideration in strategic planning, we have a responsible procurement policy, and we set up our processes and operating methods with a view to minimising the load on the environment. We support environmental accountability at the level of individuals by providing Mehiläinen employees with information, training and tools for fostering the environment.

The environmental impact of our operations and the realisation of our environmental objectives are monitored regularly in connection with management reviews and utilising both internal and external audits.

Mehiläinen's ESG policy

Better health and well-being for Finnish society.

The fundamentals for Mehiläinen is to improve health and well-being for Finland in collaboration with our customers and partners. Mehiläinen provides services in aligment with our core values of caring and responsibility, that improve individuals’ health and well-being and mutually benefits society, we promote health services and care for the sick, improve the productivity of Finnish employees Finnish, and provide support for individuals in society that need it the most. We assist in increasing the competitiveness of Finnish companies and help the social and health services providers in the public sector to generate the necessary welfare services.

Mehiläinen operates according to the economical principles designed to generate sustainable growth. We see this as part of our corporate responsibility. Sustainable growth enables investments, creating new jobs and significant purchases from our contractors. Sustainable growth supports the funding of the Finnish welfare state by increasing the income tax and retirement funds. Sustainable growth also provides good returns on equity to Mehiläinen. Mehiläinen is either directly or indirectly, majority owned by Finnish or International institutional investors whose mandate is to provide profitable returns, for example, for the retirement savings of millions of individuals.

The aim for Mehiläinen is to be the forerunner for their whole field, be the trend-setter and encourage with their own example all public and private service providers in the healthcare sector to refine customer-orientation, care efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

Our operations benefit individuals and organizations

Benefits on individual level

You and your family

We offer Finns holistic and individually tailored services swiftly and smoothly. High quality care, availability and holistic service are at the core of our operations for the entire family. Mehiläinen’s doctors are quickly and easily available for you.

Mehiläinen offers quick and easy access to specialist services, health services, dental services and other wellness expert services. Full-service medical center offers wide diagnostic services under one roof, so dealing with us is convenient. If treatment includes operations or other procedures, these can be taken care in high quality Mehiläinen hospitals.

At Mehiläinen the customer is treated swiftly and without queueing, the customer’s or their family’s situation and individual needs are taken to account with flexibility.

People in the workforce

The working life has drastically changed during the last years. Hard economic situation demands efficiency, digitalization has changed working methods and the line between work and leisure has blurred. At the same time there is a push for longer professional careers.

Mehiläinen’s Working Life Services support employees with their well-being and health. Occupation Health Care aimed at traditional healing no longer meets the needs of the changing work life. The balance between emotional, physical and social factors is critical in helping employees cope and perform better at work and making the most of their leisure. If one of the factors is troubling the individual, it affects their well-being and ability to work; and therefor work itself and the work community. The well-being is also impacted by the circumstances at work, work environment and the possibility to influence to one’ work. Mehiläinen’s Work Life services help to ensure maintaining optimal working capacity throughout the course of a career. The individual and society win when Finns are feeling well and can cope with their work-life challenges.

Care services residents

All of our care services are tailored for each individual to provide them with a high quality of life. To our residents this means tailored individual care, safety, their own cozy home, community and tasty, healthy food.

In our care services for the elderly help, support and care is tailored to the client’s individual needs and according to their life situation. For example illnesses effecting memory are on the rise amongst the Finnish population and Mehiläinen has a wealth of experience in this field and vast expertise. Living in care services supports and creates safe environment for the individual, and also provides reassurances for the relatives who are concerned for their loved ones.

Care services designed for the Individuals rehabilitated with mental health problems offers housing and rehabilitation services. Our services aim to develop independency of the rehabilitated, self-supporting and the experience of quality of life. With these goals we aim to rehabilitate the clients towards an independent life.

Care services designed for those that are disabled offer individual care services for developmentally disabled and for severely disabled as well as autistic young and adults. The basis for our operations is tailoring care for every individual’s qualities, interests and support needs. The aim for our operations is to strengthen individual’s life skills and therefore to build readiness for independent and self-supported navigating in life.

Our care services invest in the client to receive the support for their well-being and individual good life.

Client for child protection services

Our child protection services consists of institutional care, outpatient care, supported family care and family services according to the preventative social welfare services.

Our services highlight building a better future by providing children and families welfare in collaboration with them. If outpatient care cannot secure child’s growth and development environment we can offer a home in a children’s home. The aim at our children’s homes is growth that has its foundation on the child’s individual strengths.

Our services aim to create an adulthood where the crises experienced during childhood would not be a burden, but an inner resource. We secure the growth of the children and youth by working closely and actively with networks like municipalities, social, health and education bodies.

An expert in health and social services

Mehiläinen is one of the most significant employers and offers a wide range of employment opportunities for social and health sector professionals. For example in 2018 we employed over 16 500 professionals across Finland.

Our aim is to offer meaningful work through out all of the stages of work life. We invest in high level of professionalism and competence development, for example with different types of training and staff rotation. We measure and track the environment within our work communities actively to ensure that Mehiläinen is a great place to work. We offer our employees meaningful work in inspiring environment and personal development opportunities.

Benefits on an organizational level

Employer

Mehiläinen’s occupational health care services help to maintain and promote the employees’ health and working ability, safety in work environment and the operation of the work community, and to prevent work-related illnesses and accidents. Staff’s well-being is also affected by other work environment factors, such as good leadership and a functional work community.

Mehiläinen’s occupational health care services are not just traditional healthcare but our services are holistic covering individual and company’s health and wellness services. Improving collaboration, management and leadership improves competitiveness and productivity. As the industry leader we invest significantly also into digital services like online customer interaction and AI-based prediction model development.

Employees that are healthy, able and well help the employer to manage the staff costs and improve organization’s efficiency, competitiveness and productivity.

Organizer for the public services

The goal for the public services operations is to provide high quality and cost-effective public services for Finnish society. We maintain high quality care and track its impact.

Our broad public service offering covers items such as client’s right to choose their medical center, outsourcing and procurement, oral health services and home services. Our aim for the public health services is to improve easy access to high quality care. Alongside with the traditional strategies we aim to improve availability of the services and making customer experience easier by investing in digital services. For the service provider these can increase savings as some of the customer interaction is done digitally in a more efficient manner. We support Finnish society by providing high quality services more cost-effectively.

We provide a wide range of public sector services across Finland that largely satisfies the municipalities needs, including for example elderly care services, disabled care services, mental-health rehabilitation services and child protection services within institution-, outpatient-, and family care services.

Our care service operations benefit the residents themselves but also the broader community surrounding them. Purposefully and efficiently organized operations support society to reduce costs related to for example the ageing population and for the individuals needing support, but also promote resident’s well-being and individual quality of life.

Our child protection services goals highlight the effectiveness that is created in collaboration between staff and our clients. Our aim is to create consistent services across all of our units and operations. We track our quality objectives fulfillment also with customer satisfaction surveys. Our versatile service suite arm municipalities with the tools they need to provide more effective, high quality service care based on every child’s individual needs and to build a better future.

Insurance company

Streamlined collaboration with insurance companies enables quick access to care and great results from it. Efficient chain of care benefits all parties including the insurance company, client and the employer. Efficient compensation handling and quick access to care diminishes time spend on queueing and waiting, including insurance costs. When the care can commence without unnecessary waiting, the beneficiary is the whole Finnish society, when for example time spent on sick leave is diminished.

Our other organizational accountability principles

Good governance

We respect good governance in our operation and over all good practice. Good governance means meticulous methods and practice that looks after the organization. Meticulous means for example that decisions are made in a consistent manner and information is acquired for decision making, the bigger the risk involved in decision making the more meticulously the information is gathered.

If conflicts of interest situations arise, the interest of the company take precedent over the interest of the employee. We recuse ourselves from decision making situations, when we have a conflict of interest.

We communicate openly with respect for one-another. Open communication helps us to serve our customers in the best possible manner, but also to develop our own operations and to rationalize and encapsulate the collaboration between different parts of the organization.

We all make sure that we are familiarized with the legislation relevant to our own work and other directives to the extent of what our own work tasks require.

We abide by the valid legislation and regulatory provisions in force. We do not tolerate corruption, blackmail or bribery.

Environment

We aim to identify and prevent in all of our operations possible undesirable effects to the environment and promote the principle of sustainability. We expect that employees working at Mehiläinen are committed to environmental responsibility in their own work.

The foundation to our environmental goals are Mehiläinen’s values (responsibility and caring) and environmental issues are part of Mehiläinen’s operation and management system. We develop our operations so that the waste disposed and the amount of paper been used is decreased, energy consumption is lowered and environmental impact from travelling is reduced, We take into account the environmental effects of business, implement a responsible procurement policy and construct work processes and methods in a way that they reduce environmental load.

We support individual responsibility by offering knowledge, training and equipment to promote environmental issues. We also require that the suppliers used and other partners minimize the environmental impact in their goods and services.

Mehiläinen supports digital development in the industry by generating digital services and products that diminish the environmental impacts on their behalf.

Human rights

We respect human rights and treat everyone equally. We value diversity in recruiting and follow equality and coequal law. We aim to avail equality and coequal to actualize in our operations. We don’t accept racism, hate speech, discrimination, harassing or hurtful language.

Employees are treated equally in terms of employment conditions, work conditions, personnel training and career advancement. We aim to promote equality and coequal to occur.

We respect also the Principles of the UN Global Compact and the UN Human Rights Declaration in our operations and expect the same from our partners.

Privacy and data protection

Our operations generate and handle large quantities of private information from our patients, residents and other clients. We handle this personal information with care and are aware of our responsibilities with regards to privacy, as a responsible party of the social and healthcare sector.

We follow current legislation and official directives with personal information handling including European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR.

We pay special attention to careful and protected personal information handling. We are actively involved in developing health and social services industry’s privacy protection’s good practices and guidelines as a whole. We promote openness by offering our clients an option to check the information collected about them also via online services.

We respect our client’s privacy. We do not hand information to third parties without client’s personal consent or without a basis given by the legislation.

Mehiläinen's tax footprint

Mehiläinen Group's 2020 tax footprint increased by 6.1 per cent from the previous year to EUR 230.9 million.

Mehiläinen's tax policy

Purpose and general goals

The tax policy of the Mehiläinen Group is based on the company’s strategy and values. Mehiläinen follows a responsible and open tax policy. The goal of Mehiläinen is to be a good taxpayer and a pioneer in its field as a promoter of an open tax policy. In addition, Mehiläinen aims to engage in open dialogue and co-operation with tax authorities.

Tax policy

Mehiläinen’s tax policy is included in the company’s Code of Conduct. The tax policy is supplemented by Mehiläinen’s instructions for the management of taxation that includes the tasks and responsibilities connected to taxation at Mehiläinen.

Mehiläinen is committed to paying taxes and tax-like charges in accordance with the legislation in force and to publish its tax information in accordance with the legislation and the company’s own transparency targets.

Mehiläinen requires everyone employed by Mehiläinen who works in Mehiläinen’s business operations and especially in tax-related duties, to follow this tax policy. Mehiläinen also requires external advisers to follow the company’s tax policy, if reporting and other tasks connected to Mehiläinen’s taxation have been outsourced. Mehiläinen does not support with its own operations any tax planning of independent practitioners or other co-operation partners that differs from the practices of the field and from the generally approved operational models.

Main principles of Mehiläinen’s tax policy

• The company pays its taxes in Finland, where the company operates as well.
• Matters connected to taxation always have business-related grounds.
• The company’s taxation is transparent and the company publishes up-to-date information on its taxation regularly.
• Taxation does not guide the company’s operations or its expanding its business outside of Finland.

Transparency of taxation

Mehiläinen aims to increase the transparency of taxation by working in co-operation with the tax authorities. Mehiläinen is committed to presenting the tax administration with the required information to ensure correct tax treatment and to prevent possible disagreements later. For tax treatment of significant transactions, Mehiläinen aims to ask the opinion of the tax administration in advance.

Also the company’s personnel, co-operation partners and customers are informed about matters related to taxation. Mehiläinen’s tax footprint report is published annually. By reporting regularly on taxation, we support the transparency of taxation.

Organization of the business operations and transactions

The purpose of the principles of Mehiläinen’s taxation is to create simple and accepted solution models that will ensure that the company’s taxation is understandable and appropriate. Organization of the business operations and transactions always has grounds based on business operations. Mehiläinen does not accept artificial or otherwise aggressive solution models. Legality and honesty together with transparent and open communication are extremely important values.

Mehiläinen continuously monitors development related to taxation and its effect on the operation of the company and aims to engage in open dialogue and co-operation with the tax authorities.