Kela Director General Lasse Lehtonen has issued a public apology following internal backlash over remarks that were viewed by staff as dismissive. The situation has intensified tensions within Finland’s social insurance institution during an already sensitive period marked by new remote work rules and weak staff morale.
A crisis meeting was held by Kela’s board on Wednesday evening. The virtual session lasted more than ninety minutes and focused on strained relations between leadership and employees. The meeting followed poor results in an internal survey and complaints about changes to workplace policies.
In the meeting, Lehtonen apologised for comments made in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat. In the interview he said that Kela had no particular need to hold tightly to its staff under current labour conditions. Employee representatives said the remarks were disrespectful and made them feel undervalued.
In a statement released after the meeting, Lehtonen said his word choice was poor and did not reflect the value of the professionals employed at Kela. He added that he would review the feedback carefully and acknowledged that communication with staff must improve, especially during organisational changes.
Shortly after the apology, Lehtonen posted on the social media platform X. In the post, he suggested that Kela’s communications team did not support him adequately. The post, which was deleted Thursday morning, claimed the communications unit had ignored his request in August to prepare materials for handling the issue publicly. Lehtonen told Iltalehti that he removed the post voluntarily.
Kela’s board chair Vertti Kiukas said the board still has confidence in Lehtonen. However, discontent remains over new workplace requirements. Under the updated policy, staff must work on site at least once per week starting next year. The change has become a significant point of frustration among employees. While the board continues to support the policy, many workers said the tone of the rollout felt dismissive and poorly communicated.
An internal barometer obtained by Yle showed that only 23 percent of staff consider senior decisions clear and well grounded. Just 21 percent would recommend Kela as an employer. The results have increased pressure on leadership to address morale and communication concerns.
Lehtonen assumed office in June after his appointment earlier in the year. He said he will continue visiting regional offices to meet staff directly and address concerns in person.
