Personnel Representatives (acronym HED in Finnish) is a collective term for elected representatives in the workplace. These include shop stewards, occupational safety and health representatives, deputy representatives, members of European Works Councils (EWC), employee representatives, personnel representatives in cooperation bodies, and other employee-elected representatives.
Register as an Personnel Representative
If you have been elected as an Personnel Representative, please remember to notify Tietoala of your appointment. As we work closely with YTN Tietoala and organize many events together, we maintain separate registers. To receive information, support, and invitations, please register in both:
- Tietoala / The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland Employee Representative Register, register here
- YTN Tietoala Employee Representative Register, register here
Personnel Representatives receive regular newsletters with updates on collective agreements, workplace advocacy, and other topics relevant to their role. We also organize annual Personnel Representative Days together with YTN Tietoala, offering training, legal and collective agreement guidance, and valuable networking opportunities with peers across the IT sector.
Shop Stewards
Workplaces covered by a collective agreement may elect a shop steward to represent employees. Shop stewards are elected in accordance with applicable collective agreements and must be members of Tietoala or another YTN-affiliated union and familiar with workplace conditions.
The election process should be open and transparent, ensuring that all eligible employees have the opportunity to nominate candidates and vote. Elections can be organized electronically. Once elected, the result must be communicated to both the employer and Tietoala.
Employee Representatives
If the workplace is not covered by a collective agreement, employees may elect a Employee representative (luottamusvaltuutettu in Finnish). The representative must be an employee of the company and may not hold a position representing the employer.
The election can be conducted electronically, and all eligible employees must be given a fair opportunity to participate. The election result should be documented, communicated to the employer, and the representative’s role, term of office, and working arrangements should be agreed upon in writing whenever possible.
Detailed instructions, election guidelines, and notification forms can be found on the related pages of our website Electing an Employee Representative. Tietoala provides guidance, training, and support to help employee representatives succeed in their important role