The language barrier is not the only factor making Finland a bewildering place for migrant workers. Even though they may work in large international undertakings that maintain an internal English-speaking micro-environment, migrant workers must still comply with the rules of wider society, and they will interact with public authorities and other social structures. It is unhealthy for an immigrant to remain dependent on the assistance of an employer and even a native spouse in order to manage relations with public institutions, such as immigration, tax and social welfare authorities, medical services and condominium housing associations.

Employers should not have to explain the detailed rules governing the length of an employee's annual holiday or the significance of collective labour agreements. This places an unreasonable burden on human resources administration, even though social integration is essential for maintaining optimal employee working capacity. Employers should not need to worry about the type of residence permit held by a migrant worker or the conditions governing eligibility for various public services.

The public administration and social systems of Finland are not especially complex in most respects, and immigrant professionals are quite capable of understanding these systems. However, very few experts in Finland are able to explain these systems from the point of view of an immigrant. Practices that seem unfair or arbitrary often make more sense when seen in the correct context, and processes exist for challenging unreasonable outcomes.

Our one-day courses in English can help to point your migrant workers in a positive direction and show them where to turn for expert help that the employer cannot reasonably provide.

Certification alone imparts no significant additional quality to a translation, but merely creates a presumption of legal validity in the event that the document is used in certain official processes.

Contact us to discuss orientation training courses.