North Savo welfare county ordered to pay compensation to dismissed practical nurse who let resident sit in a cargo cage
The North Savo welfare county (Pohjois-Savon hyvinvointialue) has been ordered to pay more than 25,600 euros in compensation to a practical nurse it dismissed after she allowed a resident of a supported housing facility in Kuopio to sit in a goods transport cage, Yle reported.
The North Savo District Court ruled that the welfare county had acted in violation of employment contract law when it terminated the nurse’s fixed-term contract in January 2025. The ruling is not yet final.
The incident took place in autumn 2024, when the nurse allowed a resident of the Kuopio facility to sit in a cargo cage in the building’s yard, restricting the resident’s freedom of movement. Another staff member was also present at the time.
The alleged mistreatment came to the welfare county’s attention in January 2025 through a photograph taken by another employee. During the subsequent investigation, multiple staff members stated that the resident playing with the cage trolley had been known and permitted among all employees at the facility. According to these accounts, the resident had themselves requested to play with the cage trolley, and at some point a decision had been made that the resident could sit in it under supervision. The facility’s managers had also been aware of this practice since summer 2024.
The dismissed nurse stated that the case involved a grudge held against her by another employee. Following staff interviews, the welfare county dismissed her immediately and filed a police report in February 2025 alleging improper conduct toward the resident. Police did not open a preliminary investigation.
The district court found that the dismissed nurse had not acted any more reprehensibly than other staff members at the facility. In addition to the compensation of over 25,600 euros plus interest for unlawful termination, the court ordered the welfare county to cover the nurse’s legal costs of 23,200 euros, also with interest.