Supervisor support / Mehiläinen

Supervisor support

We want to support our customers’ success in the management of work ability, where supervisory work plays a key role. On this page, we have compiled general information and advice for supervisors to support their supervisory work.

The supervisor has both a duty and a right to investigate the situation if they are concerned about how the work is going. The early support model guides the supervisor to speak to the employee about their concerns in good time.

Early support is an everyday task:

Establishing an effective interactive relationship
Regular communication: Ask: how are you doing, how are you coping with your work? Show that you want to hear the answer.
Observing small signals and asking what they mean.
Asking questions.
Starting a discussion before the ability to work is compromised
If necessary, modifying the working conditions so that the employee can continue working

See Chief Occupational Psychologist Marianne Oksanen's tips for supervisory work and speaking up (in finnish)

In the video, Lead Occupational Health Psychologist Marianne Oksanen gives advice to managers on work ability management and how to address concerns. The video was published on September 27, 2024.

Roles and responsibilities in supporting work ability

Constantly monitoring the staff’s energy levels, work ability and absences as part of normal supervisor tasks
It is the supervisor’s task to react if they notice challenges/problems in the performance of employees in their daily work
The supervisor holds an early support discussion with the employee when concerns about the employee’s work ability arise, participates in the planning of the necessary measures and monitors the implementation of the agreed measures and documents the discussion in a memo designed for the purpose
The supervisor makes the necessary changes to the working conditions or the content of work
If necessary, the supervisor contacts occupational health care or refers the employee to occupational health care in health-related matters

The employee takes care of their own well-being, health and work ability.
In their work, the employee must comply with the employer’s orders and instructions as well as the practices agreed at the workplace.
The employee has the right to receive help from the employer, supervisor and occupational health care in matters related to their work ability.

Helps and support supervisors in the management of work ability
Monitor the absences of the staff
Cooperates with supervisors, occupational safety and health, occupational health care and external partners
Is involved in joint early support meetings, if necessary
Plans and develops matters related to the promotion of occupational well-being
Coordinates the possible relocation, together with supervisors
Leads and coordinates communication with any external parties (rehabilitation institutions, pension insurance companies, etc.)

Monitors sickness-related absences and the persons' work ability.
Cooperates constantly with the employee, the supervisor and HR and provides expert assistance in making changes to the work.
Carries out, if necessary, an assessment of work ability in relation to the duties assigned and provides a written opinion on it.
Carries out an assessment of the need for treatment and/or rehabilitation, initiates it and arranges follow-up.
Is involved in the occupational health negotiation.

Webinar: Self-Leadership for Managers (in finnish)

Mehiläinen's Occupational Health Psychologist Hanna Puha explains how a manager can better manage their own work and maintain their well-being in a leadership role. The video was published on June 17, 2025.

Webinar: The Demands of a Manager's Role and Personal Well-being (in finnish)

Mehiläinen's Occupational Health Psychologist Kimmo Haapanen discusses the demands of a manager's role and how to maintain well-being in the position. The video was published on March 4, 2025.

Webinar: A Manager's Personal Well-being and Coping (in finnish)

Mehiläinen's Occupational Health Psychologist Nina Lehtisalo explains how a manager can take care of their own well-being and cope better in their leadership role. The video was published on April 30, 2025.

The significance of supervisory work at different stages of the career

Supervisory work often also includes managing employees who are at different stages of their career and/or life. As a supervisor, it is important to take these issues into account and support employees according to their needs.

Glossary for supervisory work

Speaking up is a method used when you want to discuss a concern or a problem with an employee. The aim is to create an open and confidential discussion in which solutions or next steps can be discussed together.

The principles of speaking up are:

Openness and honesty: The discussion should be direct and honest.
Listening: It is important to listen to the other party’s views and feelings.
Cooperation: Finding solutions together, not just giving instructions.
Respect: Respecting the other party’s feelings and perspectives.

The discussion may concern, for example, coping at work or other life challenges.

The purpose of occupational health negotiations (tripartite negotiation, work ability meeting, network negotiation) is to find solutions to problems related to work, the work environment, or the work community that have an effect on the employee’s work ability and health. The negotiations do not include discussing an employee’s personal health data. The discussions focus on coping at work and any related matters.

An occupational health negotiation may be called by an employee, a supervisor or the occupational health care service provider. The employee has the right to decide which parties are present at the negotiation. In most cases, the negotiations include the employee, their closest supervisor and a representative or several representatives of the occupational health care service provider. In addition, the company’s occupational safety representative may be invited to the negotiations.

Learn more about occupational health negotiations.

The occupational health professional and the employee draw up a work ability plan together, which ensures that all parties are committed to the process.

A work ability plan is drawn up when a risk to the employee’s work ability has been detected, for example:

in connection with contacting the employee due to a Compass alert,
a consequent health examination, or
in a work ability monitoring meeting.

In addition, the work ability plan is updated when there are noticeable changes in the employee’s situation or at least every three months.

The work ability plan takes into account:

a broad work ability perspective
the person's functional capacity
opportunities for continuing at work and work arrangements
active motivation and commitment to rehabilitation measures

Supervisor support