Equality and non-discrimination in the City of Espoo

Discrimination means treating a person less favourably than others because of a personal characteristic. Such characteristics may include:

• Age
• Origin or nationality
• Language
• Religion or belief
• Opinion
• State of health or disability
• Family relationships
• Sexual orientation
• Gender
• Any other personal reason.

 Discrimination can occur in different ways

• Direct discrimination may occur, for instance, when a person receives worse service than another because of their origin or disability.
• Indirect discrimination can be a rule or practice that appears to apply to everyone equally, but in practice puts a particular group of people at a disadvantage.
• Harassment can take the form of behaviour that violates human dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment.
• Discrimination can also include a disabled person not receiving the reasonable accommodations they need. An instruction or order to discriminate is also considered discrimination under the law.

Discrimination can also mean that a person is treated less favourably because of their age, origin, language, religion, disability, family relationships, sexual orientation or gender. However, it is worth noting that not all unpleasant treatment or poor service constitutes discrimination.

Racism is a form of discrimination. It involves treating a person less favourably because of their ethnic background, origin, skin colour or assumptions related to these. All racism is discrimination, but not all discrimination is racism.

In Finland, every employee has the right to fair terms of employment. The terms and conditions of employment are based on the law and collective agreements.

Labour exploitation refers to a situation where an employer treats an employee unfairly in order to gain a financial advantage. Any employee can fall victim to exploitation, but the risk is higher for people who are unfamiliar with the rules of Finnish working life or who fear losing their job or residence permit.

 Signs of labour exploitation:

• The employee is paid too little
• Supplements, holiday compensation or other allowances are not paid
• The employee is not allowed to take the time off or annual leave they are entitled to
• The employee works long hours without compensation
• The employee has to pay for their job or for a job placement
• The employee is forced to return part of their wages to the employer
• The employee is registered as self-employed, even though they work in the position of an employee
• The employee is prevented from taking sick leave
• The employee is pressured to sign documents they do not understand
• The housing arranged by the employer is in poor condition or is subject to an unreasonably high fee
• Occupational health and safety is neglected in the workplace
• The employee is given false information about their rights
• The employee is threatened or intimidated.

If you suspect that you have fallen victim to labour exploitation, you do not have to face it alone. You can seek advice from sources such as a trade union, the occupational safety and health authorities or other organisations providing guidance to employees.

The City of Espoo takes reports of discrimination and labour exploitation seriously.

If you have experienced discrimination or labour exploitation within municipal services or operations, you can submit a report or give feedback. Your report will be handled confidentially, and your experience will be taken seriously. 
Report discrimination or labour exploitation(external link, opens in a new window)

Every report will be investigated. Through these reports, the city can improve its operations and prevent similar situations in the future. It is therefore important to fill in the report carefully.