Workability services
Mela offers to the customers free services to support occupational wellbeing, safety and health. We train, advise and communicate in matters that maintain work ability and work safety. We also distribute research grants. The goal of the work is to reduce accidents and occupational diseases and to promote wellbeing at work.
Support The Farmer Project
Since 2017, the Finnish government has allocated funds to the Support the Farmer Project, a temporary initiative aimed at promoting the mental wellbeing of farmers. This project offers comprehensive assistance to farmers experiencing psychosocial stress due to various reasons, such as financial difficulties, heavy workload, challenges in workability, family conflicts, and concerns about the future of farming. Mela’s advisors provide comprehensive support to farmers by assessing the situation, coordinating solutions with the farmer and necessary experts, and offering a 500 € voucher for professional help, such as psychotherapy.
In addition, Mela has established an early intervention network with partner organizations that meet farmers in their work. The concept of early intervention involves educating co-operation partners to recognize early symptoms of mental health problems, communicate their observations with the farmer, and assist the farmer in seeking for help for these issues. The Support the Farmer Project tasks are expected to be regularized starting from 2025, with legislation being prepared at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
Support the Farmer Project has proven to be an effective tool to support farmers’ mental health and work ability. According to a study (E2 Research 12/2023), 91 % of farmers were satisfied with the help they received from the project worker. This high satisfaction is attributed to the comprehensive and multiprofessional approach of the project workers, their extensive knowledge of the agricultural operating environment, and their strong professionalism and understanding in navigating advisory and service systems related to farming.
Respondents in the study had assessed their own wellbeing on a scale of 0–10 before and after receiving help from project workers. Before assistance, the perceived wellbeing score averaged only 3.7, but after receiving help, it increased to 6.3 points. Through discussions with project workers, stress factors were addressed, leading to improved mental wellbeing and work ability.
E2 Research, Impact Assessment of the Support the Farmer Project (pdf)
Mental health training
The growing ecological, social, and production-related demands placed on agriculture are increasingly adding to the psychosocial burden of farmers. Mela offers various trainings for farmers on managing psychosocial stress, such as Mental Health First Aid Courses. Courses are organized both remotely and as in-person training sessions.
In peer support groups, farmers can receive support from other farmers in similar situations, guided by Mela’s experts.
Mela also organizes events for larger numbers of participants. Farmers’ wellbeing days, held in different regions, bring together farmers to learn about factors affecting their work ability and to network with other farmers. Mela also organizes webinars featuring expert speakers.
The Workability Scale
Finnish farmers evaluate their work ability to be lower than many other professional groups. In response Mela developed an online service, which is first of its kind.
The Farmer’s Work Ability Scale enables farmers to evaluate and monitor their own work ability and level of psychosocial stress. The test measures the perceived ability to work, the occupational wellbeing and occupational safety, taking into account the unique characteristics of professional farming. Based on the answers given, the farmer receives personal feedback with recommendations to Mela’s work ability services. What makes the service unique is the respondent´s possibility to compare results with the results of other farmers of the same age, gender, and the production sector. The innovativeness lies in the comprehensive reference data which is updated in real time along with the responses.
Watch the introduction video on YouTube: The Farmer’s Work Ability Scale
Occupational health services
Occupational health services provide important support for farmers’ work ability. OHS is voluntary for self-employed entrepreneurs and therefore covers only 26,3 % of all farmers in Finland (2024). Farmers occupational health services assists the farmer in maintaining and promoting health, work ability, and well-being at work. Occupational health services are primarily preventive.
Mela collaborates with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health TTL to develop occupational health services for agricultural entrepreneurs. Mela provides a digital interactive tool to support cooperation between OHS service providers and farmers, enabling them to report work conditions during farm visits, for instance. Mela also provides free-of-charge annual training sessions for farmers’ occupational health teams.
Mela encourages farmers to join the occupational health service by offering a 20% discount on the occupational accident insurance fee. The discount is granted only when the farmer is a member of the OHS.
Additionally, Mela promotes the benefits of OHS during various events and offers framework agreements to farmers, facilitating the purchase of OHS services from committed providers offering reasonable prices and tailored activities based on the needs of farmers. These framework agreements are established with service providers who are committed to quality in accordance with good occupational health practice. The goal is to make the process of joining the OHS easy for farmers and to enhance the quality of services, regional equality, accessibility, and effectiveness.
Rehabilitation
Mela offers vocational work disability rehabilitation for customers whose work ability has been impaired due to a disability, illness or injury to the extent that they may be at risk of becoming occupationally disabled in the near future. The purpose of rehabilitation is to prevent disability pensions.
Vocational work disability rehabilitation aims to help farmers continue working despite limitations caused by disability. It can also support their return to work after a long sick leave or re-habilitation allowance. This rehabilitation is vocational and individualized, tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of each farmer.
Since rehabilitation is always a primary option before disability pension, it is mandatory to explore whether vocational rehabilitation could assist farmers in maintaining their current job or transitioning to another suitable occupation.
Additionally, farmers facing difficulties continuing their work due to accidents or occupational diseases can receive vocational rehabilitation. This includes compensation for necessary measures, enabling farmers to continue their previous work despite the injury or occupational disease.
Rehabilitation may include:
Work trials offer an opportunity to assess the suitability of a new job or changed job tasks before formal employment or training. They help farmers determine if the job is compatible with their abilities and health condition.
Job coaching provides longer-term guidance and support compared to work trials. It as-sists farmers in adapting to new job tasks and environments, helping them overcome challenges and achieve success in their work.
This component focuses on providing education and training for farmers to pursue a new profession that aligns with their abilities and health condition. The goal is to equip farmers with the skills and knowledge needed for a career change while building on their previous experience.
This support usually takes the form of grants or funding to acquire machinery and equipment that can facilitate work tasks, such as tractor air suspension seats, mini loaders, motorized respiratory protection and protective gloves. Additionally, changes in production direction or the initiation of new business activities can also be supported with livelihood support.
Mela provides a rehabilitation allowance during vocational rehabilitation to support farmers in their return to work. Additionally, cattle breeders are entitled to replacement services for reduced work capacity, ensuring continuity in farm operations despite limitations.
Health and safety at work
Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common cause of disability among farmers in Finland. Second most common reasons are mental health disorders. Mela aims to prevent disability in agriculture through its communication and actions.
Mela provides free Occupational Safety Card Training for farmers. The training promotes workplace safety in agriculture and provides farmers with tools to improve workplace safety. The goal is zero accidents in agriculture. The Occupational Safety Card training utilizes blended learning methods, combining both in-person and remote teaching.
Farmer’s PPE examination
Farmer’s PPE examination is an inspiring e-learning platform widely used by agricultural entrepreneurs, students, and occupational health care teams. The purpose of the examination is to familiarize with the use, care, and storage of personal protective equipment used in agriculture. The course consists of seven sections: protection of respiratory, hearing, eyes, head, hands, and feet, as well as work clothing. The e-learning package includes informative sessions and diverse assignments.
The VR experience
Mela’s occupational safety experts attend agricultural events to provide guidance to farmers on the use of protective equipment and showcase agricultural hazards through virtual reality experiences (VR). The VR experience serves as a starting point for discussion with Mela’s occupational safety experts. Mela’s safety experts also provide phone consultation. Watch the introduction video on YouTube: The VR experience
Smart Farm Videos
Mela also organizes the Smart Farm Videos competition for agricultural students every two years. The video competition is part of Mela’s theme Vision Zero in agriculture. The goal is to reduce accidents and inspire everyone to take care of workplace safety. The best videos will be rewarded and published on Mela’s website (in Finnish).
Educational materials
Mela also publishes various educational material on prevention on its website: Brochures (in Finnish) and Videos and Podcasts (in Finnish).
