Nokia has an in-house sauna at each of its three sites on Finnish soil. “It’s a given,” says Uitto. “Any Finn applying for a job in a Finnish company would expect that there is a sauna.”

Earlier in Uitto’s career the sauna was also often used as a place to do business, he says. As well, teams would get together in the sauna to celebrate company successes and milestones, rather than going out to a restaurant or pub. But in recent years, however, the sauna has become less of a focal point, partly because Finnish firms have become more global and also schedules are tighter, he says. Also, since women and men visit the sauna separately, for many it no longer feels like a fair way of holding business discussions.

“It doesn’t seem right to split the team in two,” Uitto says.

Know the customs

While saunas are popular in other northerly countries such as Sweden, Russia and the Netherlands, customs and etiquette vary greatly.

Jan Feller, deputy managing director of the German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Helsinki, has worked in both countries. “For the Finn, the sauna is the place where you go to be yourself and with other people,” says the 41-year-old. “In Germany it is almost purely about health and well-being.”