Two complainants indicated today that a complaint was filed with the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in February by seven employees against diplomat Titta Maja-Luoto, who has been serving in Portugal since last September. The alleged harassment was initially reported to authorities in October.
The workers cited instances of harassment, intimidation, insults, age-based discrimination, racist behavior, and emotional abuse.
The employees were notified this week of the MNE report, which is confidential, and feel “abandoned and betrayed.”
“It was highly disappointing,” one source said.
When contacted, the Finnish MFA confirmed the conclusion of the investigation, stating that “a decision regarding possible consequences under public service law is still under consideration, and no decision has been made yet.”
The Finnish Directorate-General for Human Resources is scheduled to visit the embassy in Lisbon this Friday as part of the process.
The employees also filed a complaint with the Portuguese Authority for Working Conditions (ACT).
During the investigation, both the complainants and the diplomat participated in videoconference meetings with ministry officials.
In a hearing, the employees described an “exhausting situation,” affecting physical and mental health, noting that one employee had to increase her dosage of hypertension medication “due to high levels of stress and anxiety.” Another employee requested early retirement.
“This is a labor issue that the Ministry takes seriously and has been addressing according to the ministry’s responsible workplace behavior procedures,” the Finnish MFA source said.
The employees criticized the process’s duration, which stretched over four months despite ministry guidelines stipulating a three-month resolution period for such cases.
“We processed the notification within the timeframe, but, unfortunately, in this case, it was not possible to conclude it within the three-month period recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Crises or work community situations are individual, and resolution takes the time required by the situation,” the MFA stated.
The complainants claimed the ambassador maintained her conduct: “Despite being warned by the ministry, the ambassador continued the behavior,” one worker reported.
An attempt to seek comment from Ambassador Titta Maja-Luoto was unsuccessful.
The Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat described “serious problems and a heightened work climate” at the Finnish mission in Lisbon.
According to the report, the ambassador dismissed the accusations, labeling them as “misunderstandings.”
“It seems there is an ongoing investigation process at the moment. We will wait for the results,” the diplomat told IS.
Helsinki assured support for the employees, although no compensation is planned: “Efforts were made throughout this process to support the work community at the embassy, and we will continue to offer support in the future,” the MFA conveyed.
