Kela sign in Kamppi, Helsinki. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finland’s Social Insurance Institution, Kela, spent over €11,000 on retirement events and gifts for outgoing Director General Outi Antila, even as the agency implements significant cost-saving measures.
The expenses included multiple farewell events, a €500 vintage car ride home, and a €455 Artek designer lamp. Other gifts included a Pentik blanket, table runner, bouquets, and sparkling wine.
Kela hosted a main event for 90 stakeholders, costing over €7,900. It featured catering, drinks, photography, and a musical performance. Attendees included representatives from ministries, state bodies, interest groups, and parliament. Records show 27 bottles of sparkling wine were served.
In addition, coffee and cake gatherings were held for staff across five Kela offices, including Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, and Oulu. The headquarters event alone cost €1,998, with more than 1,000 employees attending in total.
Gift expenses reached €1,381. Items included a designer lamp, a ride in a vintage car, and thank-you gifts from management. Kela said vintage car rides are standard for retiring directors, and all employees choose their retirement gift from a set list.
Kela Board Chair Vertti Kiukas defended the spending, calling it “quite reasonable”. “It’s natural that when a leader retires, there’s a celebration,” he said. He added that the cost would only be concerning “if there were another zero” added.
The agency is currently aiming to save €50 million by 2027, which includes reducing staff by 150 positions. Kiukas argued the farewell costs are insignificant in the broader financial context, noting that Kela employs around 8,500 people.
Antila declined to comment on the costs, stating she was not involved in organising the events and did not know the details. She emphasised the social value of workplace farewell gatherings.
Antila left the agency at the end of May. Lasse Lehtonen has since taken over as Kela’s new Director General.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
