Growing Company: Have You Considered These Employer Obligations as Your Team Expands?
As your company grows to 20 or 30 employees, employer obligations increase — and overlooking them can impact far more than just legal compliance. Solid HR foundations are essential for building a sustainable employee experience and a responsible employer brand.
In many growth companies without a dedicated HR professional, people-related matters can easily take a backseat to business priorities. However, employer obligations influence employee well-being, equality, and workplace safety. This blog highlights key areas every growing company should keep in mind.
1. Employment Contracts, Working Hours, and Time Tracking
Ensure you comply with any applicable collective agreements within your industry and align your employment contracts accordingly. Familiarize yourself with the basics of working hours legislation, and remember: maintaining a working hours register isn’t just mandatory — it’s a valuable tool for monitoring employee workload and well-being.
2. Workplace Safety Includes Mental Well-being
Workplace safety isn't only about physical risks. In knowledge work, mental and psychosocial stressors pose significant risks. Employers are responsible for identifying and mitigating these factors. As your team grows, involving employees in occupational safety activities — through a safety representative or a safety committee — becomes essential.
3. Supporting Work Ability and Early Intervention
High-growth environments often come with intense workloads and ambitious goals. That’s why proactive work ability management is crucial. Invest in occupational health collaboration and establish a practical early support model that helps managers recognize and address signs of burnout before they escalate.
4. Co-operation Act: New Duties at 20 Employees
Once your company reaches 20 employees, Finland’s Co-operation Act applies. You’ll need to create a workplace development plan and establish regular dialogue processes with employees or their representatives. Also, be aware of obligations related to change negotiations.
5. Non-Discrimination and Equal Treatment
Ensure that fair treatment and non-discrimination are embedded throughout the employment cycle — from recruitment to contract termination. Clear criteria, transparent processes, and regular training help build an equitable workplace. Once you have 30 employees, you must also create an Equality Plan and a Non-Discrimination Plan.
6. Data Protection and Employee Information
As an employer, you are responsible for handling employee data lawfully, transparently, and securely. Make sure your company has a clear Privacy Policy for employee data, and establish routines for keeping information up-to-date and securely deleting obsolete data.
Are Your Employer Obligations in Check?
Our HR consultants frequently support growing companies at their early stages of building people operations. We often serve as the organization’s first HR resource, setting up essential processes and ensuring compliance with legal requirements.
👉 For example, our collaboration with software company C2 SmartLight began with an HR audit, leading to the creation of comprehensive HR and compliance plans.
An HR audit offers a structured overview of your current HR processes, employee engagement, and legal compliance — followed by a tailored action plan to guide your next steps, independently or with our support.
Want to discuss your company's employer obligations?
Book a meeting with our HRaas & Recruitment Director, Jenni Tontti, today — let’s find solutions that allow you to focus on your core business while building a strong and compliant workplace.