28-year-old who moved from the U.S. to Finland: What work is like in the world's happiest country—‘they essentially force you to take a vacation’

I've been living in Finland, the happiest country in the world, for five years now. I think one of the reasons Finnish people are so happy is the country’s work culture. 

It can be hard for foreigners to find jobs here, but I was lucky to work at two different companies in Finland. One was a small software company with less than 50 workers, and the other was a big manufacturing company with over 500 workers.

I quickly saw that things like vacation time, time off for new parents, and job benefits were very different from the U.S. There are many things I like about working here, but some things surprised me and took time to get used to.

Last year, I used what I learned to start my own marketing company. Here are some things that stand out about working in Finland:

At first, I found it hard to get used to this. Many people in Finland are happy with their jobs and stay in the same role for years.

I think this comes from the Finnish idea of being happy with what you have. But to be honest, I want to grow and achieve more. In Finnish workplaces, I sometimes felt I had to hide my ambition.

When I asked Finnish friends and family about getting a promotion, they were surprised. They said people don't usually ask for promotions. Instead, they wait for a new job opening and apply then.

One reason I work for myself now is because I wanted to see how far my ambition could take me without limits or judgment.

At my last two office jobs,we had great health and leisure benefits. One of my favorite things was an app called Epassi where we had a yearly allowance to embrace different sports, culture, or wellness activities that were covered by work. 

With my benefits, I bought a gym pass, tickets to ski, movie tickets, and massages. These kinds of perks are really good because you might not think to do these things for yourself as much as you should.

Having access to Finland's healthcare system allowed me to see a therapist, dentist and physical therapist for free when I needed to.

At one of my jobs, we had a "rest room" where workers could book a one-hour session each month during work hours to relax and feel better, using different health tools, like a special sound bed or leg massage boots.

I don't have kids yet, but seeing how parental leave worked for my coworkers in different Finnish offices makes me excited to be a working parent here.

For example, both moms and dads get paid time off work to care for their new baby. They can choose when to use this time. Some companies pay full wages for the first few months, some pay half. It's usually clearly written in the job contract.

If your child is sick and you need to leave work to take care of them, it's okay and even encouraged. Often, this can count as a sick day for the parent too and you still get paid.

In Finland, the lack of job levels at work is like how people treat each other in the whole country.

There's a joke that you might sit next to Finland's President at a hockey game. It's the same at work. No one is seen as very special.

In some companies, you can have a casual coffee chat with the CEO, just like with any coworker. Whether you're new or a manager, everyone is respected and called by their first name. People don't care much about job titles here.

Overall, I love how work is in Finland. I feel like my job doesn't define me, and I have found a good balance in life.

CREDIT: www.cnbc.com