Financial company In September, OP-Pohjola told its approximately 9,500 Central Company employees that they must return 50 percent to close work. The order entered into force on the first day of October.
The OP employee who works at the Vallila branch interviewed by HS says that the policy has led to difficulties in working at the branches. According to him, the premises have not been changed much, and no parking spaces have been added, for example.
“Some have had to drive back home when there hasn’t been a place. Work is done in break rooms when there are no free workstations.”
The employee appears anonymously in the story. His identity is known to the department.
Worker says that he plans to resign from the OP’s employment because he is unable to do close work due to the commute.
“I was promised that I could work remotely. I live more than 200 kilometers from Vallila’s office.”
Due to work trips, the working day would stretch to more than 11 hours, which would make everyday life too difficult. He liked the work itself.
He says the situation is strange.
“I have a permanent job, which I have done remotely for years. At the office, I do exactly the same as I would do at home. I sit at the workstation with a laptop.”
According to him, OP also has many others in the same situation.
OP: n communication responded to HS’s interview request by e-mail. According to the communication, the number of employees at the Vallila office has increased.
According to the OP’s message, some employees have been helped, if necessary, to find a workstation in the available spaces if the employee’s own floor has been temporarily full.
According to the new guidelines, provision had been made by increasing the number of workspaces and workstations. Supervisors were also instructed to plan close work so that the use of the facilities is evenly distributed.
Helsinki Sanomat reported about OP’s tightening remote work policies about a month ago. At that time, it was reported that for those who commute to work more than a hundred kilometers away, the practice of remote working will become stricter at the turn of the year.
In the news published in September, OP-Pohjola’s personnel director Hannakaisa Länsisalmi said that about half of the Central Company’s employees were already working in accordance with the requirements of the previously tightened guidelines.
Just under a third had worked at the office less than two days a week until now.
According to Länsisalmi, the majority of Keskushytiö’s employees live less than fifty kilometers from their workplace, but about 1,500 people have a longer commute.
OP-Pohjola said this week that it will start major change negotiations involving around 2,000 employees.