Identifying disability risks

Megatrends, such as digitalisation, the transformation of work and climate change – or the pandemic – are changing the economic structure as well as the operating conditions of businesses and organisations. At the same time, they are changing working conditions, working methods, organisation and leadership. Work ability challenges and risks are also changing. It is important to understand how disability risks are changing and how they can be influenced.

We help build a strong foundation

Do you know what kind of work ability your organisation’s work will require in the future?

What are the biggest risks to your employees’ work ability right now?

How can disability risks harm your business?

Take advantage of the existing information

Varma continuously accumulates a wealth of data on the work ability of our client companies’ employees and on the paths that lead to disability. We analyse this data with the help of, for instance, robotics, and we process it so that you, as our client, can draw on this data to prevent disability risks in your organisation. In addition, our research department produces, through studies conducted both independently and with partners, information on work ability to support you.

Read more about Varma's research activities

Survey your company’s disability risks

We have created a new tool to help you more accurately survey your organisation’s disability risks. The earlier and more accurately an understanding of the possible risks is formed, the easier it is to develop operations in an anticipatory way and as effectively as possible. You can use our risk survey tool in Varma Online Service.

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Stay on top of your employees’ situation

As Varma’s client, you have access to our ‘Know the work ability cycle’ surveys, which you can use to regularly examine the factors affecting the work ability of your employees. There are surveys for various purposes and situations: With the Sense survey you can examine the situation, say, on a monthly basis, and you can use the Grip survey to gain more in-depth information, e.g., once a year. You can start using the surveys in our online service.

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Ensure sufficient competence

All employees should have sufficient knowledge of the factors that affect their work ability, such as how to ensure recovery or identify signs of burnout. Supervisors have a special responsibility and duty to ensure that work is healthy and safe and to identify risks that threaten work ability, while the person responsible for the company’s HR matters must, in most cases, oversee the entire work ability management system and ensure, e.g. smooth occupational health care co-operation. Varma Academy is an extensive source of courses and other digital content and tools to help develop competence. Varma Academy is freely available to all employees of Varma’s client companies. Varma Academy's content is mainly in Finnish.

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Over 500 of our client organisations have already identified their disability risks in the Varma Online Service

Have you? The earlier and more accurately an understanding of the possible disability risks is formed, the easier it is to develop operations in an anticipatory way and as effectively as possible.

Below are the findings on disability risks observed in client organisations.

Identify your organisation’s disability risks in the Varma Online Service

Workoad factors includes the physical and cognitive load from work tasks, as well as load factors related to the organisation of the work and interaction.
Key risks
  1. 1

    Lack of work control

    Having control over one’s work promotes work ability. Identify factors that influence a lack of control over the work and build effective practices together with the employees. Some ways to increase the sense of control include developing management structures, clarifying the organisation of work tasks and setting priorities together, developing the distribution of work, clarifying the work processes or developing competence.
  2. 2

    Physical workload

    A physical workload may adversely affect an employee’s ability to work and function. Identify the various workload factors (such as work postures, work movements, moving, use of physical strength) and the individuals/work units that are exposed to substantial work-related strain. Support for identifying and reducing work-related strain and for assessing health risks is available from occupational health care, whose expertise can also be used in planning and targeting measures.
  3. 3

    Stressful working hours

    Working hours affect employees’ ability to work and function and their health. Pay attention to good shift planning and to identifying work-related strain in individuals. Ensure that employees have sufficient time to recover in between work shifts. Employees’ opportunities to influence their own working hours promotes work ability.
The strategic level of work ability management includes an understanding of the overall work ability situation, goal-oriented and systematic management, decision-making and personnel’s involvement.
Key risks
  1. 1

    Cost impact of disability risks

    An up-to-date situation overview of the costs related to disability risks, and the impacts of such costs, helps in planning work ability support measures. A situation overview will also help you direct actions to where risks are highest. When development actions are targeted at the main work ability risks, the impacts are also likely to be greater.
  2. 2

    Employees’ involvement

    Involving employees in developing solutions that support work ability reinforces the effectiveness of the solutions and promotes their implementation. Having opportunities to influence solutions related to one’s own work in itself promotes employees’ work ability. Together think about how employees’ involvement can be reinforced.
  3. 3

    Overview of work ability and workload factors

    An up-to-date situation overview of personnel’s work ability and the factors affecting it create a foundation for systematically promoting work ability. The situation overview also helps you target work ability support measures towards key risk factors and groups. Make sure that you have a common understanding of the nature of the work and the key workload factors. Among the means for clarifying the situation overview are a joint discussion at the workplace, collaboration with occupational health care and personnel assessments.
Work ability operating models include practices that support work ability, work ability observations and measures, as well as collaboration between the various participants.
Key risks
  1. 1

    Internal co-operation to support work ability

    The organisation’s internal co-operation plays a key role in promoting work ability. Make sure that all the participants’ roles, tasks and responsibilities in supporting work ability are clear and that they work in practice. Reinforce the responsibilities of supervisors, HR and other key persons, as well as personnel, in their respective roles. Together think about how the changing operating environment affects the need to support work ability, and how internal co-operation can be developed.
  2. 2

    Utilisation of occupational health care expertise

    Occupational health care is the organisation’s central partner in work ability issues. Draw on occupational health care’s sector-specific and professional knowledge and observations, conclusions and analyses when seeking solutions. Make sure that the collaboration with occupational health care is regular, proactive and active, and that HR, supervisors and other key persons receive the necessary support and guidance in work ability issues.
  3. 3

    Assessment of the effectiveness of the measures

    It is important to assess the impacts of measures aimed at reducing the disability risk in order to know whether the right approach has been taken. Once the work ability risks have been identified, a development goal, measures for achieving it and relevant indicators for its assessment are established. The indicators may be, e.g. sickness absences, perceived work ability or success in returning to work.
Data retrieved 15.10.2024

Help with using our services

Take care of your work ability matters online

In our online service, you can, for instance

  • survey your organisation’s disability risks
  • examine data and analyses related to work ability
  • devise a work ability management plan of action
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