Supervision of summer work: employers have improved their act, but customer behaviour burdens young employees

According to occupational safety and health inspectors who supervise summer work, some things have improved in summer jobs: shift rosters, breaks and the option of sitting while working, for example, have mostly been arranged appropriately. At the same time, some inspections have revealed that the bad behaviour of customers increasingly burdens young people.

By the beginning of August, occupational safety and health inspectors inspected 180 summer jobs across Finland. The most common shortcomings are very similar to those of previous years: the most obligations given to employers concerned the organisation of occupational health care, the key conditions of work, shift rosters and compliance with the collective agreement. For example, some employers still do not pay young people wages in accordance with the collective agreement.

However, inspectors who have carried out summer work supervision for years have noticed that some of the things to be inspected have taken a turn for the better. Shift rosters are most often communicated to employees on time, and shifts are no longer changed at the last minute that often. In most cases, employees are allowed to take their due breaks and have a chair available at their workstations. 

“It seems that long-term supervision and communication have yielded results. At least some employers are more aware of their responsibilities than before”, says occupational safety and health inspector Laura Mäkilä at the Finnish Supervisory Agency. 

At the same time, Mäkilä says that her inspections increasingly highlight customers' bad behaviour towards young employees. The matter is not automatically on the agenda of summer job inspections, but Mäkilä has included questions about it in her inspections since 2024.

“More often than before, young employees say that they experience inappropriate behaviour from customers. Customers may snap or yell at young people or downplay their professional skills. Some summer employees are even subjected to sexual harassment in the form of jokes or suggestive remarks”, Mäkilä says.

Young people must also be inducted in handling challenging customer situations

The Occupational Safety and Health Act obliges the employer to investigate and assess the hazards of work, including harassment and inappropriate treatment. In practice, this must be done as part of the workplace risk assessment. 

Occupational health care must take into account the risk identified by the employer in the workplace survey and assess its health significance. Occupational health care issues recommendations for improving premises, safety equipment and instructions, and assists in debriefing threatening situations.

“Inappropriate treatment by customers can cause harmful psychosocial workload to the young person. It is important that the young person receives clear instructions as early as during orientation on how to act in different situations. The instructions should also be given in writing. It is a good idea for the employer to ensure during the employment that the young person has internalised the matters covered in orientation”, Mäkilä advises.

Inquiries:

Inspector Laura Mäkilä
tel. +358 29 525 4524, [email protected]
Finnish Supervisory Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Department