Toimihenkilön

Toimihenkilön is the genitive form of toimihenkilö, a Finnish term used to describe white-collar employees in the Finnish labor market. A toimihenkilö is typically a salaried employee whose duties are administrative, professional, or managerial, and who performs non-manual work. The term is commonly contrasted with blue-collar workers or manual labor, and the exact boundaries are often defined by sector-specific agreements rather than a single statute.

In practice, toimihenkilöiden ryhmä appears in collective agreements and employment contracts to designate a broad category of non-manual workers. The scope of the category can vary by industry, company, and agreement, affecting terms such as pay scales, working hours, and overtime rules. Because the classification is largely contractual, the precise duties and qualifications that place an employee in the toimihenkilö group may differ between contexts.

Common examples of roles labeled as toimihenkilö include secretaries, clerical staff, accountants, engineers, IT specialists, and HR professionals—office-based professionals whose work centers on administration, planning, or professional tasks rather than manual production work. The label is more about duties and employment terms than a strict hierarchy of job titles.

Etymology: toimihenkilö combines toimia (to act or perform) with henkilö (person). The genitive form toimihenkilön is used when referring to something belonging to or associated with a toimihenkilö, such as toimihenkilön oikeudet (the rights of a white-collar worker).