Well-being and occupational safety
We promote our personnel’s health and safety, as well as their well-being and its management, by means of information and preventive work. We are aiming for zero accidents: an accident-free Kesko.
Well-being throughout the career
We take care of our employees’ work ability throughout their careers, ensuring support in different situations. We view health as a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. Work can be a key source of satisfaction and, therefore, health. For us, a healthy workplace is one where managers and employees work together to promote the well-being of all employees as part of the workplace’s social sustainability.
With proactive management of personnel wellbeing and work capacity, we ensure our employees’ work capacity and functional capacity, manage sickness absences and prevent workplace injuries and retirement due to disability. Key means include solutions for people with partial working capacity to return to working life or to find and remain in employment. Kesko has held the Mieli Mental Health Finland Hyvän mielen työpaikka® (“Good Mood Workplace”) label since 2025, and it supports practices that strengthen mental well-being.
In 2025, we conducted occupational safety risk assessments and, based on the findings, drew up development plans for all operating countries. Kesko’s total recordable incident frequency (TRIF) decreased slightly in 2025 to 25.0 (2024: 25.9). We also monitor the frequency of serious workplace accidents (LTIFꝫ: workplace accidents resulting in at least three days’ absence). In 2025, it was 6.3 in Kesko Group.
We use two sustainability indicators to measure personnel wellbeing. In the K Voices 2025 employee engagement survey, Kesko Group’s wellbeing index was 85 (2024: 83) on a scale of 0–100. The index for personal development and growth opportunities, which was added to the sustainability indicators in 2025, was 70 (2024: 68) on a scale of 0–100.
Towards an accident-free workplace
We attach great importance to complying with Kesko’s current occupational health and safety policies, legal provisions and industry standards, and have incorporated them into the K Code of Conduct. Occupational health and safety is a key element of good leadership.
We regularly assess occupational safety risks in all countries where the Kesko Group operates and, based on these assessments, update country-specific occupational safety plans. This enables us to proactively identify and evaluate hazards in the work environment.
Based on the risks identified, we prioritise actions to improve safety and set targets for them. In 2023, Kesko’s sustainability strategy set a target to reduce all workplace accidents by 2030. So far, the total recordable injury frequency (TRIF) has decreased by 16% from the 2023 baseline. We also monitor the lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR)*, which was 6.3 across the Group in 2025.
Kesko's occupational accident frequency rate in Finland in 2023-2025 is available here. There were no fatal occupational accidents.
We support and encourage our managers and employees to promote safe and healthy working conditions in order to prevent work-related accidents and illnesses. Each business division in Group has its own organisational and management structure focused on occupational safety. Cross-divisional topics are addressed by the Occupational Safety Steering Group, composed of business division leaders and chaired by Kesko’s EVP, HR. The Steering Group is also responsible for managing and developing occupational safety KPIs in line with the sustainability strategy.
Kesko Group’s occupational safety group enables dialogue and cooperation between occupational safety experts across the different business divisions. It develops appropriate preventive measures and shares best practices. Kesko employees have good opportunities to influence working conditions and safety. Occupational safety meetings include representatives of both the employer and employees.
Training and enhancing safety awareness
We provide our employees with regular occupational safety training and coaching. These trainings increase employees’ awareness of hazards and safe working practices and strengthen the safety culture in everyday work.
Kesko closely monitors developments in occupational safety. For example, we track the number of safety observations and accident frequency in management teams. Kesko also follows a systematic procedure for investigating workplace accidents and hazardous situations. Every workplace accident included in the LTIF frequency is investigated.
We regularly review our occupational safety practices and look for ways to improve them. This may include, for example, acquiring new equipment or tools that enhance safety, providing training, or reassessing workplace risks.
In addition, we have a system that enables employees to report near misses and safety concerns. This helps identify potential issues and find solutions to address them. Training and evaluation, as well as continuous improvement, are key to improving occupational safety. In Finland, we carry out internal audits regularly across different business units. In 2025, audits were conducted at 52 locations.
Kesko complies with international occupational health and safety standards. For example, Group company Onninen Oy has been awarded ISO 45001 certification in recognition of its occupational health and safety management system.
Occupational health and safety are taken into account broadly in Kesko’s operations, including in our supply chain. We set requirements and OHS criteria for our partners—for example, by requiring compliance with occupational safety and occupational health requirements and by including good safety practices in our procurement agreements and in the K Code of Conduct guidelines for business partners.
Occupational health services supporting occupational safety and wellbeing
Occupational health services at Kesko are organised in accordance with local legislation and practices in our countries of operation. We provide comprehensive occupational health services for all Kesko employees, and retailers, as entrepreneurs, arrange corresponding occupational health services for their own employees. The focus of occupational health services is on prevention and early identification of risks related to employees’ health and work ability.
In Finland, Kesko provides its employees with medical care that goes beyond the statutory requirements. Kesko also provides its personnel with leisure-time accident insurance.
*LTIFR = workplace accidents resulting in an absence of at least three days
Read more in the Careers section.
