A recent survey of Finnish government offices reveals a significant post-pandemic shift towards hybrid work models, but with substantial variation between ministries. The average occupancy rate across the Government Council and its ministries is 51 percent, according to Heikki Hovi, a sector head from the Prime Minister's Office. Hovi noted this data suggests room for efficiency improvements in the use of government office space. The general target is one workstation for every two employees. Hovi also stated that officials are closely monitoring the increasing amount of on-site work and will make necessary adjustments based on agency-specific solutions. This policy divergence highlights the ongoing struggle to balance flexibility with operational needs within the Helsinki government district.
Pauliina Pekonen, an expert from the Ministry of Finance, explained that the use of office space has been made more flexible and efficient. Activity is being concentrated in blocks adjacent to the Government Palace, and shared use of spaces is increasing as renovation projects progress. Since 2015, office space projects have achieved an annual saving of 192 million euros in state facility costs. Office space efficiency has improved from 24 square meters per person-year in 2015 to an average of 15 square meters today. The total amount of office space in use has decreased by 35 percent since 2017, with the state currently using 850,000 square meters of office space out of a total of 4.9 million square meters of all facilities.
Individual ministries, however, enforce their own distinct guidelines. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health reports remote work for about half of workdays, excluding official travel, but notes many tasks require substantially more on-site presence. The Ministry of Transport and Communications states employees have no absolute right to remote work and must come to the office when required, with remote work averaging 2-3 days per week. The Ministry of the Interior recommends 6 on-site days per month, with an average occupancy rate of 35 percent. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry requires at least 8 on-site days per month. The Ministry of Justice stands out with exceptionally broad freedom, having no defined minimum for on-site days and decisions made on a unit-by-unit basis.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs instructs officials to work at the office at least three days a week, while the Ministry of the Environment requires a minimum of 4 on-site days per month. The central government updated its remote and hybrid work guidelines at the start of November, recommending an average of 12 on-site days per month. Yet, each of the 104 state employer organizations, including the 12 ministries, defines its own suitable ways of working. This decentralized approach creates a patchwork system across the Eduskunta's administrative branches.
The state's office work strategy has evolved significantly since the 2010s, shifting from room offices to multi-space environments with work point areas, drop-in spaces, and meeting rooms. After the pandemic, remote work in office-intensive fields typically constitutes 60-80 percent of working time, depending on the organization and its tasks. To adapt office space needs to the post-pandemic era and support multi-location work, the state's facility strategy aims to create shared work environments. In these shared spaces, staff from various agencies work primarily in jointly used facilities instead of named spaces for their own agency. Nine such locations are currently operational, with the largest shared work environment in Pasila, Helsinki, set to host about 5,200 people by the end of next year.
This fragmented policy landscape reflects a broader EU-wide debate on the future of public administration work. While Finland pushes for spatial efficiency and cost savings, the lack of a unified federal standard may lead to disparities in employee satisfaction and inter-ministerial collaboration. The real test will be whether this hybrid model sustains government productivity or creates new bureaucratic silos within the very heart of Finnish governance.