Finland, the happiest country – is this one of the reasons?
Finland was dubbed the world’s happiest nation for the seventh consecutive year in the annual World Happiness Report 2024. The happiest nation might also boast the most contented employees. Here’s why:
Finland is renowned for its citizens’ well-being, ice swimming, sauna culture, Northern Lights, and other unique Nordic experiences the country offers. It’s also celebrated for maintaining one of the most functional work-life balances globally.
Even as the work-life balance is well-working in Finland, there is discussion about adopting shorter workweeks. Could this afford more time to spend with families and enjoy nature?
There's already a real-life example from Finland – a work-life approach that might represent the future. Finnish mobile game studio Fingersoft – the company behind worldwide smash hits, the Hill Climb Racing game series – has been acknowledged as an innovative player within the gaming field in recent years. They have gained recognition for their unconventional work hours, allowing employees to work 6-hour days instead of the usual 8. For example, Forbes has covered this unique approach.
Nordic approach to improving work-life balance
Typically, in Finland, people work around 8 hours a day for five days per week. Fingersoft decided to deviate from this norm, experimenting with both a six-hour and four-day workweek options, ultimately choosing the six-hour workday as the optimal solution. Employees can now work a six-hour day with 90 percent of their salary, if they wish.
The experiment demonstrated that Fingersoft’s employees who opted for shorter working days felt their overall life balance improving. Many employees have taken up new hobbies, improved their eating habits, and now spend more time with their families.
Moreover, in terms of profitability, productivity remained almost unchanged despite the shorter six-hour working day!
Does the happiest country in the world also have the happiest employees? Read more about the decision to change the workday to 6 hours from Fingersoft's press release or schedule an interview with the company's representative!
More information and interview requests:
Ms. Susanna Solajoki
PR Lead, Fingersoft
+358 50 374 5747
susanna.solajoki@fingersoft.com
About Fingersoft
Fingersoft is a Finnish game studio that focuses on fun-filled content for mobile devices. The company is famous for its worldwide smash hits Hill Climb Racing and Hill Climb Racing 2 which have accumulated over 2 Billion downloads across platforms and over €180 million in NET revenue. Fingersoft’s games are available for iOS, Android, and Amazon. Founded in 2012, Fingersoft is headquartered in Oulu, Finland, and employs 117 people. Last year, the company’s turnover was 23.2 million euros. For more information, please visit fingersoft.com.
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