Työkykyyn

Työkykyyn is a Finnish term describing the capacity to perform work tasks. It covers physical and mental ability, functional competence, and motivation to work. The concept is used to assess if a person can start, resume, or maintain employment and to guide related interventions.

Determinants include health and medical conditions, physical fitness, cognitive function, and skill level, as well as workplace factors such as ergonomic design, workload, and support networks. Age, education, and prior work history influence capability. The concept emphasizes functional performance in real job tasks rather than formal employment status alone.

Assessment often relies on health evaluations and standardized tools such as the Work Ability Index (WAI) that gauge current work capacity relative to demands. In Finland, occupational health services and social insurance systems integrate such assessments into decisions about sickness absence, return to work, and rehabilitation.

Promotion and rehabilitation aim to maintain or restore Työkykyyn through preventive care, workplace accommodations, retraining, and graded return-to-work plans. Flexible scheduling, task modification, assistive devices, and energy management are common features.

Policy context: in Finland, work ability is central to strategies aimed at extending working life and reducing disability pensions. Cooperation among health care providers, employers, and social security agencies supports early intervention and sustainable employment.

See also: Work Ability Index, Occupational health, Rehabilitation, Disability pension.