What the U.S. Can Learn From Finland’s Stellar Workplace Culture | Opinion

Five years after the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns, the discussion about workplace culture continues unabated, leaving businesses and workers just as polarized as before.

Since the 2024 elections, JPMorgan and Amazon 'office employees must be present at their desks five days a week, and Dell implemented a rigorous requirement for all of its global sales force to work from the office. Furthermore, Meta it dissolved its diversity and inclusion team and discontinued its efforts towards hiring a varied workforce, while McDonald's pensioned-off diversity objectives for top management positions Walmart close its Center for Racial Equity.

No matter where you stand on fostering a joyful and efficient work environment—the statistics speak for themselves. According to research carried out by the Society for Human Resource Management, 44% of US workers experience burnout on the job, 45% report feeling emotionally depleted due to their work, and 51% sense they are “spent” when finishing their daily tasks. This is further exacerbated by new findings from A Gallup survey revealed that U.S. worker engagement had hit a decade-long minimum. .

The data collected through our employee feedback systems (you know, the smiley-faced feedback kiosks found in places like airports, shops, and office buildings) showed that employee satisfaction stood at 85% in Europe but was lower at 69% here in the U.S.

When examining workplace statistics from my country, Finland, an even more startling disparity in employee engagement becomes evident. According to a 2025 study conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, this discrepancy comes to light. Only about 10 percent of Finnish professionals are expected to have encountered job burnout. Noticing this difference, it may not astonish you to learn that Finland has topped the list as the globe’s happiest nation for the last seven consecutive years. according to the U.N. World Happiness Report .

Although the idea of being "happier" than other nations amuses us Finns, our perspective on life significantly influences our work environment.

It seems appropriate that I pen this reflection as the CEO of an organization focused on assessing business happiness metrics, yet here we are anticipating the release of the 2025 World Happiness Report later this month. In consideration of recent choices made by several multinational corporations, these circumstances prompt me to ponder what being Finnish means with the aim of aiding organizations enhance their employees' work-life satisfaction.

I want to begin by stating that this concept of happiness isn’t something we’ve claimed ourselves. I can guarantee you that Finns wouldn't dare to boast such a thing. Actually, we have an expression,
Kell on niin vähän onnea, pidä kätke köyhyydessä.
(Note: The original phrase seems to be partially in Finnish; hence only the part presumed to require translation has been modified.) , which means "whoever has found happiness, that happiness they should hide." In Finnish society, displays of happiness are often discouraged to avoid seeming boastful.

This attitude influences Finnish workplace culture in dual manners. Firstly, companies tend to be non-hierarchical, which diminishes stratification and fosters creativity. Additionally, individuals within the Finnish labor force lean towards a subdued stance regarding personal promotion. Instead of seeking acknowledgment personally, Finnish experts allow their contributions to stand out through their work alone; they place greater importance on collaboration and group achievements rather than singular accolades. Each member operates under an assumption of trust, confident that their efforts will not go unnoticed due to others overstating their roles.

This trust manifests in how Finnish businesses handle work-life equilibrium. Unlike numerous nations that viewed the pandemic as a turning point necessitating changes towards remote and hybrid work arrangements, Finland had long been pioneering this area since 1996 with the implementation of its first Flexible Working Act. The legislation evolved further by 2020 through amendments to the Working Hours Act, which now grants full-time employees the option to select their working times and locations for at least half of their weekly hours. Additionally, Finnish workers benefit from a statutory minimum of five weeks of compensated vacation annually along with up to 160 days of paid paternity/maternity leave.

The key point is that this method doesn't merely foster joyful work environments, but also ones that operate more efficiently. As noted in 2023, European Union The study revealed that Finnish workers exhibit greater job satisfaction and less absenteeism than their counterparts in other European countries. Furthermore, a 2024 review by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare discovered that workers who enjoyed higher levels of independence at their jobs experienced lower stress, increased motivation, and enhanced productivity.

Operating under the belief that close supervision isn’t necessary for achieving outcomes, Finnish businesses foster a setting where every employee feels responsible and trusts their colleagues to work towards common goals.

What insights can CEOs gain from Finland’s approach to the work environment?

Similar to how there are no secrets or shortcuts when seeking happiness, achieving success in business requires genuine effort as well. While American businesses often emphasize strict office policies and traditional measures of accomplishment, Finland presents an intriguing contrast, placing significant importance on trust and independence—elements that contribute both to employee satisfaction and productivity. Instead of concentrating solely on time spent at work, firms should prioritize tangible outcomes. This shift fosters conditions wherein workers flourish instead of becoming overburdened. To quote the esteemed management guru Peter Drucker, “Culture trumps strategy every morning,” and cultivating content staff members is not merely ethically sound; it’s strategically beneficial too.

Miika Mäkitalo serves as the CEO of HappyOrNot, a firm renowned for its customer and employee feedback systems, which include iconic smiley-button kiosks found throughout the U.S. and in over 4,000 locations worldwide such as airports, eateries, sports venues, and retail outlets. With an extensive career spanning fifteen years in senior leadership positions, Miika also possesses a doctoral degree in industrial engineering and management.

The opinions stated in this article belong to the author alone.

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