Hellon: Occupational health specialized in knowledge work and mental well-being for top-notch service designers

Familiar and reliable support just a quick dial away:

“Hellon employees have already become accustomed to the fact that they don’t always need to go separately for occupational health. Heltti is an essential part of our organization, a crucial support pillar, and an emergency network from which it is easy to ask for advice and seek help with health issues. We have medical assistance as if it were a speed dial on the phone. It provides security.”

For Hellon employees, it’s easy, quick, and effortless to contact the familiar Heltti team – wherever they happen to be working. Often, matters are handled and progressed over the phone or through Heltti’s online service, MyHeltti, without the employee needing to go anywhere physically. Before the pandemic, 76% of Heltti’s healthcare procedures were conducted remotely, meaning quite a few things can now be managed through remote connections, by phone, or online.

“In one colleague’s situation, due to an eye infection, there was no need to go anywhere. The colleague sent pictures of the eye infection through MyHeltti, and the doctor was able to assess the situation based on that and prescribe medication,” describes Karoliina with everyday examples.

What happens when you literally need to “go to the doctor”?

Of course, there are times when you literally need to “go to the doctor.” If Heltti determines that a Hellon employee needs physical medical care, the employee receives a referral from Heltti, covered by health insurance, to the appropriate partner in the network.

“For us Hellon employees, there is always a clear path: first, contact Heltti, and either the matter is handled there, or if there is a need to see specialist doctors in person, we have access to a wide network of partners, and Heltti knows how to guide us to the right place. When going to a partner, always bring your insurance card or at least the insurance number. These two things are instilled in everyone: contact Heltti first and always have the insurance card with you,” describes Lehtonen.

Karoliina shared an example from her own life: she had persistent back pain and contacted Heltti. Heltti issued a referral to a private medical center, called Karoliina, and an appointment for examinations was scheduled. In the end, her back was treated at a specialized hospital for musculoskeletal issues. Karoliina was pleased that everything was taken care of on her behalf within a week or two, and the treatment process was smooth.

The collaboration between Heltti and Hellon is close-knit. The Heltti team understands the Hellon organization, its people, the ways creative professionals work, as well as the strengths and core challenges of the company. While the overall data provides a good overview of well-being, according to Karoliina Lehtonen, the essence of the matter is that when the organization is familiar, Heltti can look beyond the numbers.

“I can easily call our occupational health nurse at Heltti, go through the organization’s situation, and she knows what I’m talking about. I also receive personal guidance from an experienced Heltti occupational health psychologist for my own work. I am extremely satisfied with Heltti’s preventive services and coaching for my work. I believe that the key to successful collaboration is that they know us well and can pay attention to the right things well in advance. I am used to the idea that occupational health is just a distant partner with whom there is no genuine interaction.”

While Heltti has been chosen as the best healthcare workplace in Europe, Hellon, as a pioneer in the service design field, has grown over the years to become the most awarded company in the world in its industry, with clients including Pepsico, Vodafone, Silja Tallink, Yara, HSL, Tesco, Bank of Ireland, Mandatum, and the Finnish government. Not bad for a journey shared together!

The human-centered service design crafted by “Hellonians” is, to a great extent, knowledge work that can strain the mind. If Hellon aims to bring a human perspective to service development, often dominated by process-centric approaches, the emphasis on human-centricity extends to internal practices and investing in employee well-being.

“I believe that without this kind of collaboration, sick leaves would be more significant for us. I am sure that with a different model, the situation would be different,” says Karoliina Lehtonen.

Like in many other expert organizations, employee well-being and mental health play a crucial role at Hellon. Lehtonen mentions that without Heltti, specialized in knowledge work and knowledge workers, as a partner, the focus of occupational health might lean more towards treating illnesses rather than prevention. Additionally, the mental aspect would probably receive less attention if the responsibility were more on the employee’s shoulders.

“Heltti is the consolidating force here. They are well aware of what Hellonians need and understand the world of knowledge workers,” Lehtonen explains. Within Hellon, discussions about well-being matters are conducted regularly and openly. Moreover, Hellon encourages its employees to proactively reach out to Heltti’s occupational health psychologists for preventive measures rather than waiting until later.

At Hellon, there was no consideration of obtaining all occupational health services from a single provider or relying solely on health insurance. The operational director of Hellon believes that without Heltti, the focus of care would be primarily on treating illnesses rather than preventive measures. Additionally, mental well-being would likely receive less attention when the responsibility falls more on the employee.

“Fearful that relying solely on insurance would lead to confusion with various referrals, and without a comprehensive view of people’s well-being. Heltti is the consolidating force in this regard. As I mentioned earlier, they are well aware of what Hellon employees need and understand the world of knowledge workers. Moreover, due to their fixed monthly fee, they have an incentive to keep us healthy,” explains Karoliina Lehtonen, Hellon’s operational director and HR manager.