Employee representatives elected in the occupational safety and health elections

In the occupational safety and health elections, employees elect their representatives for cooperation in occupational safety and health.

If the workplace has at least ten employees, the employees elect an occupational safety and health representative and two deputy occupational safety and health representatives. Smaller workplaces may also elect OSH representatives.

Occupational safety and health representatives are automatically members of the occupational safety and health committee, which must be established at any workplace with at least 20 employees. Other employee representatives to the occupational safety and health committee are also elected in the occupational safety and health election. If the workplace has locally agreed on occupational safety and health ombudsmen, a person will also be elected to this position in the occupational safety and health election.

The employer appoints their representative for cooperation in occupational safety and health (occupational safety manager, member of the occupational safety and health committee). They are therefore not elected.

Election organised by employees

The Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces (44/2006) lays down provisions on occupational safety and health elections. In addition, more detailed electoral practices have been agreed on in different sectors. For more information on these, please see e.g. the Centre for Occupational Safety website. This page covers the OSH elections in a general manner.

The election of the occupational safety and health representative and deputy occupational safety and health representatives is organised by the employees. All employees in the workplace must have the opportunity to stand as candidates and vote in elections. The election must not cause unnecessary harm to the activities of the workplace, and the employer may not make it more difficult to organise the election.

The persons organising the election first agree on the time and place of the election with the employer. The election must take place during the period 1 November – 31 December the year preceding the start of the new term. Before the elections, the occupational safety and health manager must invite the representatives of the personnel groups to a negotiation, in which the operating area, the scope of the occupational safety and health organisation, the number of members of the occupational safety and health committee and the representation of different parties and the division of the personnel into different groups are agreed on or stated.

The practical arrangements for the elections are made by the current occupational safety and health committee or an electoral committee consisting of personnel representatives. The employer must make the following available to the employees

• premises in which to hold the elections
• a list of employees in the workplace and, if necessary, a separate list of office personnel.

Elections must be announced well in advance

All those eligible to vote in elections may nominate candidates for

• the occupational safety and health representative and deputy occupational safety and health representative
• members of the occupational safety and health committee if an occupational safety and health committee is established.  

The names of the candidates will be submitted in writing to the electoral committee by the agreed deadline.

If the number of candidates for a position is the same as the number of candidates to be elected, the candidates are deemed to have been elected. If there is more than one candidate for a position, an election will be held. It is also possible to vote for persons other than listed candidates. However, it’s a good idea to ask a person whether they could consent to taking on the position of the occupational safety and health representative before voting for them as no one can be elected to the position without their consent.

Elections must be announced to all employees at least 14 days before the elections. The election will take the form of a closed ballot to guarantee the secrecy of the election. 

The person who receives the most votes in the occupational safety and health representative election will be selected as the occupational safety and health representative. The two persons who receive the most votes in the deputy occupational safety and health representatives’ election will be selected as the deputy occupational safety and health representatives. The same procedure is followed in the election of the members of the occupational safety and health committee. If candidates are given an equal number of votes, the selection is made by drawing lots among those who received the most votes.

Representatives can also be selected on an agreed-on vote, for example at an election meeting, if the persons entitled to vote agree on the procedure and the persons to be elected. Employees must also be notified of the election meeting 14 days beforehand.

The electoral committee keeps minutes of both the agreed-upon election and the vote. The minutes are made available for viewing at the workplace and a copy is sent to the employer.

Frequently asked questions