The principles for excellent work

Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS) is a responsible and impactful higher education community. We promote regional well-being and produce expertise for working life. We are committed to advancing equality, non-discrimination, and responsibility in all our operations.

Our activities are based on ethical principles and the promotion of sustainability – economically, ecologically, culturally, and socially. We are committed to the universities of applied sciences’ joint programme on sustainable development and responsibility; we act as a responsible community and employer. We are familiar with the sustainable development guidelines, which are also part of our orientation process. We continuously increase competence related to responsibility themes as part of everyday work and learning.

Leadership at Turku UAS is responsible, professional, and encouraging. Its purpose is to support the staff’s professional development and success at work, taking into account individual strengths and development needs. Constructive interaction between supervisors and staff is essential, and regular, confidential discussions support daily work.

Supervisors are responsible for supporting, guiding, and intervening in situations when needed. Each employee also holds responsibility for their own work, competence, and well-being. As a higher education community, we create new solutions, learn together, and foster psychological safety – we accept experimentation and even failures as part of development.

A communal and appreciative climate supports workplace well-being and coping. Each of us contributes to the workplace climate. Good work community skills – such as constructive communication, consideration of others, courage to address issues, and an active approach to developing work – are essential. We strengthen these skills through leadership and shared discussions. We pay particular attention to strengthening young employees’ workplace skills.

Our community follows a shared Community Etiquette, which promotes a professional and respectful study and work environment. We are an inclusive community. We support genuine equality, value diversity, and communicate in an accessible manner while respecting multiplicity of voices.
Maintaining an atmosphere of fair treatment and trust is essential in our workplace community. We ensure that members of the same immediate family do not work in a supervisor–subordinate relationship within the same administrative unit.

At Turku UAS, recruitment is based on planning, equality, and openness. Our goal is to secure a competent and diverse staff that supports our strategic objectives.

In the recruitment process, we emphasize equality and diversity. We welcome applicants from various backgrounds. We also recruit internationally when the position does not require proficiency in Finnish. We promote responsible researcher and research assessment, focusing on quality, impact, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration.

Continuous learning is a shared value reflected in all our activities. Learning in a rapidly changing world is the foundation of our existence. We encourage our staff to continuously develop their competence. We provide opportunities for this through training, development groups, and collaborative projects. Regular development discussions with supervisors support professional growth, though responsibility for competence development ultimately lies with each employee.

In competence development, we consider strategic priorities, changes in the operating environment, and job requirements. Our community’s competence grows through regional, national, and international collaboration. Multidisciplinary RDI activities offer opportunities for networking and strengthening expertise. Internationality is an integral part of our learning and working environment. We encourage staff to participate in international exchanges, projects, and expert visits.

Well-being at work is a shared concern of our higher education community. Responsibility for maintaining and developing it belongs to all of us. We support employees’ work ability and well-being at every stage of their careers. We enable a balance between work and other aspects of life, for example with flexible working hours and hybrid work.

We also promote well-being through extensive occupational health services and staff benefits targeted at sports, culture, and well-being services.

We address workload factors proactively through our work ability management model. We recognize early signs of declining work ability. We provide timely support to employees in collaboration with supervisors, occupational health, and other support networks. We monitor well-being through staff surveys, development discussions, and workplace health discussions when needed, as well as through sick leave monitoring.

At Turku UAS, occupational safety is part of responsible everyday life and a foundation for workplace well-being. We have clear principles and guidelines for occupational safety and protection. Every member of the community is responsible for a safe working environment.

We apply zero tolerance for harassment and inappropriate treatment. We use clear procedures, responsibilities, and preventive measures for addressing such situations. We continuously develop our work environments to be ergonomic, safe, and pleasant across all campuses.

Statutory risk assessments and workplace surveys support the maintenance of safety. Our goal is that everyone can perform their work while feeling well and safe – whether the environment concerns physical facilities or psychological safety.