HYY’s instructions and guidelines for organisations on the coronavirus situation, updated on 17 March 2020
NEWS
Due to the coronavirus, Finland is preparing to implement the Emergency Powers Act, as the government announced in its press conference on 16 March. This includes closing the universities and suspending contact teaching. In addition to this, all public gatherings of over ten people are banned.
The measures taken to control the coronavirus situation significantly affect the operation of organisations, too. The current instructions and guidelines listed below have been drafted for organisations, and they are based on the policies of the Finnish government and the instructions of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
- Alina Hall and attic sauna Sivistys as well as meeting rooms Wilhelmsson, Seppele, Kabinetti and Barrikaadi are not available for organisations to reserve or use until further notice. No fees will be collected for cancelled reservations. You do not need to make a separate cancellation.
- All events for over ten people must be cancelled.
- You should avoid all kinds of events and gatherings in organisational premises. The organisation of meetings and similar events is left at the organisations’ own discretion. Whenever possible, organising all meetings remotely is recommended.
- If organisational premises are used, the organisations must take particular care of hand hygiene. The bodies in charge of managing the premises should ensure that there is hand sanitiser and soap available in the premises, along with paper towels, if possible. Everyone using the premises should wash their hands upon arrival. In addition to this, taking care of general hygiene (coughing and sneezing in your sleeve, etc.) is of utmost importance.
- We encourage you to follow THL’s recommendations at both individual and organisational level to the extent that they apply to your activities. Organisations can also encourage their own members to follow THL’s instructions.
Information on the implementation of the Emergency Powers Act as well as all the measures decided by the Finnish government on 16 March can be found on the government’s website.
Current information on the coronavirus is available on THL’s website.
We also recommend that organisations follow the University’s website, which is being actively updated. The site describes the effects of the coronavirus on your studies.
These instructions for organisations are valid until further notice. HYY monitors the situation closely and provides updates on any additional information on its communication channels. If you have any questions on these instructions or if your organisation has a challenging situation of some kind, you can contact the organisational sector directly.
Further information:
Lovisa Hirvonen
Member of the Board (organisations)
lovisa.hirvonen@hyy.fi
050 543 9615
Jaakko Kalske
Specialist (organisations)
jaakko.kalske@hyy.fi
050 537 3798
HYY’s instructions for organisations in legal or financial problem situations
Because of the coronavirus situation, organisations may be facing costs and difficult situations due to possible cases of cancellation. These instructions have been made to support organisations in challenging situations, and we recommend that you utilise them as needed.
If your organisation is unable to organise an anniversary party, for instance, due to the coronavirus situation, and the deadline for free cancellation has expired, you should first inquire about the possibility of moving the reservation forward. This way, you can avoid extra costs to the organisation and, on the other hand, be able to organise the anniversary party later.
Legal difficulties
Pykälä’s legal aid is free to HYY’s members and organisations. In legal problem situations, we recommend that you contact them. It is best to avoid legal action in conflict situations – we recommend that you try to agree on the issue amicably.
Pykälä’s Legal Aid Committee is on call at 5.00–7.00 pm on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic terms of the University of Helsinki. Together with the Legal Aid Committee, we are also preparing to provide additional assistance outside these times, if this becomes necessary. In addition to this, we will be producing answers to the most common legal questions together with the committee. These will be published as soon as possible but during next week at the earliest.
The Legal Aid Committee’s contact information:
oikeusapu@pykala.fi
050 311 0715
Further information about Pykälä’s legal aid.
Financial difficulties
HYY’s Board is currently investigating different alternatives on how to support organisations. As part of this investigation, HYY aims to chart the extent of financial problems. If your organisation is facing a financially challenging situation due to cases of cancellation, for instance, please contact the specialist in organisations.
Further information
Jaakko Kalske
Specialist (organisations)
jaakko.kalske@hyy.fi
050 537 3798
Merja Viitasalo
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
merja.viitasalo@hyy.fi
050 534 2963
