Futurice, an international IT and consultancy company, has incorporated mental wellbeing into its strategic approach to workplace wellness. Auntie’s low-threshold service has been part of the company’s work ability management for over five years. With Auntie, Futurice supports its employees preventively – not only in crisis situations but also by strengthening resilience and self-leadership skills in a rapidly changing work environment. Auntie’s ease of use, global availability, and proven impact have stood out in the experiences of both HR Operations Lead Katja Kainulainen and Futurice employees.
Futurice and Auntie: Together towards a more humane, sustainable work life
Operating in four countries and employing hundreds of knowledge workers, Futurice strongly believes that employee wellbeing is the organisation's most valuable asset. For Futurice, wellbeing also includes mental wellness. Katja Kainulainen emphasizes that mental health should be cared for just like workplace ergonomics or physical fitness.
Auntie was initially implemented at Futurice to proactively address mental health-related absences and to deepen understanding of employee wellbeing. Auntie proved to be a suitable partner, particularly because it was already in use in similar organisations and had demonstrated results.
"When a service reaches a person at the right time, it truly makes a difference. Early support can bring significant human and financial benefits."
Katja Kainulainen,HR Operations Lead, Futurice
Global reach and measurable impact matter to Futurice
For Futurice, it's crucial that wellbeing services are accessible in all its locations. Auntie’s broad language selection and international availability make it easy to implement across teams and departments without needing country-specific solutions. “It’s a plus that we can communicate about the service globally and that it’s accessible to everyone,” says Katja.
Auntie is also HR-friendly: it doesn’t burden the team, and its impact can be monitored through the Auntie Insights platform. The platform provides anonymized data on usage, effectiveness, and employee feedback, enabling data-driven wellbeing development.
"We receive anonymous effectiveness data from Auntie, which gives us valuable insights for supporting employee wellbeing."
Accessible, timely support
Katja Kainulainen highlights that Auntie’s value lies especially in its ease and quick access. “Employees don’t need a doctor’s appointment, and there are no formal records left from using the service. This lowers the threshold to seek help in time.” The service is available quickly, even in life crises, and is suited for both professional and personal challenges.
Feedback from employees has been positive. Many have found that Auntie’s support arrived just in time—before things escalated into a crisis. “There have been cases where, without Auntie, sick leave would have been the only option, but with Auntie’s help, employees have been able to continue working,” Katja shares. This demonstrates the service’s tangible value in everyday life.
A complement, not a competitor
At Futurice, Auntie is not seen as overlapping with occupational health services but as a valuable complement. The service reaches individuals who may not want to use occupational health channels and offers neutral, low-threshold conversational support. “Employees see Auntie and occupational health as complementary, not competing,” Katja explains.
Supporting continuous change and life’s many phases
Modern work life requires ongoing self-leadership and adaptability. At Futurice, the value of Auntie’s services, such as the Bounce Back resilience packages, is recognised in developing these skills. “Work life will be in constant change. Services like Auntie provide employees with tools and opportunities to build future-proof skills,” Katja says.
Auntie’s services are built around clearly themed discussion packages, consisting of five 45-minute sessions with a professional. Topics include stress management, recovery, self-leadership, resilience, and communication skills. There are also packages for managers to support their leadership communication, handling difficult situations, and managing their own wellbeing.
In today's working world, the line between work and personal life often blurs. After a workday, employees frequently face different responsibilities and schedules. For employees navigating the busy middle years of life, total load can increase. Futurice recognises that supporting wellbeing can’t be limited to work hours alone. Auntie offers employees the opportunity to pause and address everyday challenges in a holistic manner.
Timely support that prevents absences and strengthens work ability
A cornerstone of the long-term partnership between Futurice and Auntie has been the well-functioning collaboration. “We have a skilled contact person at Auntie, and the cooperation works smoothly,” says Katja Kainulainen, adding that this makes it easy for HR to utilise the service.
More important than smooth cooperation, however, is that Auntie has reached employees when support was truly needed. Supporting wellbeing resonates across the organisation: it helps maintain work ability, strengthens employee engagement, and reduces costs from sick leave.
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