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• YTK

There are about 200 of us at YTK. We are in Loimaa, Turku and many other places remotely. Our job is to take care of your unemployment protection and the twists and turns in your working life, to advise and guide you. Our work is varied and interesting, but the most exciting thing for all of us is that we can help you exactly when you need us.

Get to know us and our work!

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Satu Eskola

Has worked as an expert at the YTK for a couple of years, before that in benefit processing and customer service since 2015

“I work as an expert in a so-called clinic. We help benefit processors and customer service staff to solve more complex cases, for example. The job also involves, among other things, sparring with our employees. I also sometimes work myself as a benefit processor or in recovery. 

I really like the job. What I really like about working in a clinic is that I get to interact a lot with other employees and think about things together. There is never a dull moment in this job, because there is so much to do. Complex cases are often such that many different factors influence the application.  

Recently, we have had a backlog of applications, so I myself have been working overtime to try to clear the backlog. It’s nice to work overtime sometimes, knowing that the applicants will get their money quicker and our processors will have a lighter workload.”

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Anna-Leena Poskiparta

Working at the YTK since 2016

“I started at the YTK in customer service and moved into appeals. I then progressed to a managerial role and for the last couple of years I’ve been an unemployment benefit specialist. It’s really great that I’ve been able to progress so quickly in my career. 

In my current job, I train our staff and help them with tricky unemployment benefit issues and applying the law. For example, I am also involved in groups to discuss the Unemployment Fund’s policies and comment on changes in the law. I really like this job because I get to interact a lot with our employees and our members. 

I have seen how long and complex processes are, for example, when it comes to changes in the law. They require a lot of preparation and a lot of tweaking, but at the end of the day we always try to make things easier for our members. 

In addition to my specialist work, I try to process a few benefit claims almost every day. It is important to keep in touch with the actual processing work. Without it, I would not be able to help our staff and our members.”

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Tiina Rauhakylä

Working in the YTK’s benefits processing from autumn 2023

“I’ve always been interested in numbers, so the job of benefits processor suits me. There are clear laws, but at the same time you have to be able to apply the information in a very versatile way.  

You need to know a lot of legislation in this job, so the induction is done carefully. I’m now starting to work comfortably independently, but I’m constantly learning new things. Luckily, you can always get support and help: our work community is really helpful!   

I’ve been unemployed myself, so I know what it’s like to wait for money to arrive in your bank account. I try to give our members as much guidance as possible, because I know how important it is when unemployment hits.   

The importance of our work is there all the time. That’s why I pay special attention to accuracy and fairness. When I do my job with care, it is directly linked to the member getting their money in their account and life becoming easier.”

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Päivi Kouki

Working in the YTK’s customer service department from January 2022

“I started working in the benefits processing department of the YTK, but after about six months I moved to customer service, which suits me better. 

Working in customer service is like opening Christmas presents all the time: you never know what kind of question you’ll get! As a rule, there are very basic questions, but sometimes there are really tricky ones. In fact, you hope that from time to time there will be enough challenging cases to solve. 

Dozens of messages and phone calls are answered during the day. Sometimes you even get a bit hooked on solving them: sometimes you’ve already finished work, but you feel like ‘just one more message’. 

Occasionally, customer questions go pretty much outside the core area of the YTK – but of course I still try to help if I can. Anyway, I try to give clients more and answer more questions than they know how to ask. 

Our customers appreciate this: very often at the end of the call they say thank you very nicely. It does make you feel good when you have helped.”

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Ella Salminen

Working at the YTK in benefit processing and recovery since 2017

“I started at the YTK as an office assistant and now work in both benefit processing and recovery. As a rule, our clients are very positive and understanding. Especially in recovery, there are sometimes unpleasant situations when you have to recover money, but very rarely do you get any negative comments.  

I always try to remember to explain to the claimant clearly what is the reason for what and why something is needed. It is very understandable that questions arise when you suddenly find yourself unemployed or laid off.   

These things are not simple. That’s why we have regular training and refresher courses. We try to ensure that there are no mistakes and that the process is smooth.  

Now we have had more applications than usual, which has caused a rush. However, I don’t let it affect my own work too much, I do my best with every application.”

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Elina Raatikainen

Working in the YTK’s benefit processing from 2020

“When I started working at the YTK four years ago, I was not very familiar with unemployment insurance or income support. I had previously worked in a bank. 

So it was surprising how many things affect the processing of applications and how much you must remember and know. I assumed it would be much more automated. However, each application and applicant are individual. Certain things can be automated, but there are many things that need human interpretation and clarification. 

At the turn of the year, there were again changes in the law that affect the processing. You must be vigilant and up to date with what the law says at any given time.    

There are a lot of applications to process now, but I don’t take too much stress or pressure from that. The most important thing is to do the job carefully and correctly. The atmosphere is really good despite the rush: we help each other, chat and call each other often, even though we mainly work remotely.” 

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Johanna Pölkki

Working in the YTK’s benefit processing since 2004

“I’ve been doing this since I was in my twenties, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s wonderful that the YTK allows you to do what suits you best.   

In the twenty years I’ve worked here, I’ve seen a lot of changes, both in the law and in technology. Back in the day, we were still opening envelopes and processing paper applications!    

The applications show that a lot of work is done nowadays more diverse: part-time, contract work, temporary, light entrepreneurship… This has also increased the amount of bits and pieces of information that has to be managed. This is certainly not just a matter of “pressing enter”.    

Some applicants are really knowledgeable, others are not. It is also very understandable that these things only become interesting when unemployment hits.    

I think a lot about members and their situations – sometimes maybe too much. I always want to get the money paid quickly, but it’s not always possible for one reason or another. I feel bad myself if I don’t get the money paid just before Christmas, for example – even if it’s not up to you. The most important thing is to do your job carefully, one application at a time.”  

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Saija Teppala

Working in customer service at YTK from 2023

“Working in the YTK’s Customer Service is exactly the challenge I thought it would be when I applied – and just what I needed. I wanted a customer service job that made a difference and where you could genuinely help people.  

The challenge comes from knowing a lot of things, and they’re not always straightforward. Every day you have to think about it and work out the wording of the law yourself.   

You have to be able to consider the member’s situation as a whole, because many things are interdependent, for example in a redundancy situation. I think there is a really big responsibility in this job. I try to be careful not to give the wrong advice and not to miss anything.   

Perhaps the most complex situations are those related to work disability. It’s difficult to give really precise answers – although that’s what the member would want, of course.  

I try to make sure that I give clear instructions and don’t use jargon. I try to put myself in the other person’s shoes and think about how you would feel if you had a great need for money. What’s so wonderful is how understanding our members are towards us too!”

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Leena Leino

Working in YTK’s customer service since 1998

“I have been working in YTK’s customer service for 25 years. I am very happy to be doing something I like and something that makes me feel useful. In one working week, I usually have contact with well over 100 members, either by phone or email. 

In the last two decades, the complexity of members’ questions has grown considerably. There was a time when people asked relatively straightforward things like payment dates. Now all that stuff is on OmaYTK, and the questions are broader and more specific; there’s job alternation leave, transition security and so on. Of course, the rapid growth in the number of members and the societal changes over the years have also had an impact on my work.  

But the principle has remained the same: the most important thing is to try to help the client. Many people call us for the first time when they get unemployed or laid off, and that is not a nice situation. Often people ask for justification of decisions or clarification of amounts. 

As a rule, our customers are very nice and we can find a common understanding when I take the time to talk and explain. We are a kind of window to the outside world for the unemployment fund!”

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Jan Raho 

Working in the YTK’s benefit processing from 2021 

“This job requires diligence, application skills and also some ability to cope with pressure. Constant changes in the law are the lifeblood of the job for me – there’s always something new to learn!   
 
Most of my encounters with members are through OmaYTK; I often need some additional information on an application. Quite understandably, this can be emotional for members because they are concerned about their livelihood – but as a rule, they are quick to understand the overall situation and that their case is being handled.    
 
Sometimes members tell us more about their own situation and life, which brings a human touch to the work. Members are certainly not just membership numbers for us, there is always a human being behind the number.   

Now that we’ve had some backlog, some people wonder why we don’t just hire more people. But this job requires so much skill that it takes six months to a year to train people. So we can’t just grab extra hands from the hiring company to process applications.” 

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