In Finland the working culture is quite relaxed compared to many other countries. Employees have many rights that are protected by labor laws and collective labor agreements negotiated by labor unions. Education is valued and usually a degree is required. In general working life in Finland is pretty good for the worker.
In Finnish culture hierarchies are low. You are usually on a first name basis with your boss and know them personally. Everyone can express their views and participate in decision making. You are allowed to bring up mistakes your boss has made. Supervisors do not keep a close eye on the work of their team and many jobs are done quite independently. These things lead to an enjoyable but productive work time.
Finnish people are not very driven by achievement and success. Balancing family life and work is easy, and people’s free time is respected and valued. Working hours are regulated to eight hours per day, five days a week. People get ample holiday time and use it every year.
What I would like to change in Finland’s working culture is the idealization of young age. Middle aged people often find it difficult to get new opportunities, when at the same time there is push to increase the age of retirement. A 50-year-old still has many good working years ahead of them and employers should take advantage of their skills and knowledge.
Another problem is that Finnish employers are unwilling to hire people from other backgrounds. People with foreign sounding names have trouble finding jobs or even getting interviews, even if they have relevant degrees or skills. Many employers demand perfect language skills in jobs where it is not really necessary.
For the most parts I like Finland’s work culture. We get a lot done in a reasonable time and this allows for taking care of your well-being. Still, we can improve in many areas to make work more sustainable, both socially and environmentally.