Jenni Lakso
Special Advisor, technology industry, commerce and financial administration, shop steward activities
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How is the personnel representative selected?
We encourage our members to apply for the position of a personnel representative, as BBAs are well positioned to act as representatives of their coworkers in their workplace! How is the employee representative selected? You can find the answer on this page.
Will a shop steward or an employee representative be elected for my workplace?
A shop steward (or contact person, etc.) is elected on the basis of the collective agreement applicable to the industry or company.
An employee representative may be elected from among the personnel on the basis of the Employment Contracts Act if the workplace does not have a collective agreement. An employee representative is usually elected by a personnel group and may be elected from among specialists and managers, meaning senior salaried employees, even if the workplace has a collective agreement for other personnel groups.
An occupational safety representative must be elected in workplaces that employ at least ten employees, but may also be elected in smaller workplaces or by personnel group.
Elections for shop stewards or employee representatives
Who can run for the elections and vote?
The election of a shop steward is subject to the collective agreement applicable to the industry or company, so you can check the collective agreement to see who may nominate candidates and vote in the elections.
In the election of an employee representative, all employees of the personnel group in question can run as a candidate and vote, as the election procedure is not defined in the Employment Contracts Act. In the absence of a collective agreement, it’s advisable to agree in advance on situations where there are several candidates, such as whether the second most voted representative will become a deputy representative.
How long will the term of office of the elected shop steward or employee representative last?
The term of office usually lasts two years. According to the collective agreement, the term may also be of a different length. With regard to the employee representative, the length of the term can be agreed on at the workplaces. In general, it is about two years.
Before the elections
- Find out whether your workplace has a collective agreement or whether it complies with the Employment Contracts Act.
- Check the collective agreement to see who may nominate candidates and vote in the elections. If your workplace does not comply with a collective agreement, you can organise the elections as you see fit.
- The elections can be organised by the previous representative. If the company has not previously organised elections, they can be organised by a group of active senior salaried employees or an occupational safety representative, for example.
After the elections
- The electoral committee documents the details of organising the elections and the results.
- Notify the personnel group in question and the employer of the election result.
- Report the result to our private sector negotiating organisations The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN or the public sector negotiating organisation JUKO by using the electronic form available on the organisations’ websites.
How are the shop steward or employee representative elections organised?
Read more at the website of The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN.
Elections for occupational safety representatives
Who can run for the elections and vote?
An occupational safety representative and two deputy representatives must be elected in workplaces that employ at least ten employees, but may also be elected in smaller workplaces or by personnel group.
Anyone belonging to the personnel group in question can run as a candidate and participate in the election of a representative, or, if an occupational safety representative is elected for the entire personnel of the workplace, everyone can run as a candidate and participate in the elections.
How long will the term of office of the elected occupational safety representative last?
The term of office usually lasts two years, unless otherwise agreed. The term of office may not exceed four years.
Before the elections
- Check who may nominate candidates and vote in the elections. This is important when the occupational safety representative is elected by personnel group.
- The elections can be organised by the previous representative. If the company has not previously organised elections, they can be organised by a group of active senior salaried employees or an occupational safety representative, for example.
After the elections
- The electoral committee documents the details of organising the elections and the results.
- The result of the elections will be notified in writing to the employer and the persons represented. In addition, it is advisable to notify your own union of the position.
How are the elections for occupational safety representatives organised?
Read more at the website of The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN.
You can find more information about the duties of personnel representatives on our website and on the website of our negotiating organisation of the private sector, the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. Please note that protocols may differ for the public sector. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.
Contact us
Do you have questions about the election of the personnel representative? Our specialist Jenni is happy to help you with any questions related to representing the personnel!