Marjo-Riikka Ylhäinen

Marjo-Riikka Ylhäinen is a University Lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland's Department of Law within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Administration. Her work focuses on labour law, disability rights, non-discrimination, and social policy. She has contributed to projects like 'The potential of the long-term unemployed as a labor pool' and 'Gender equality in the transformation of the social and health sectors.' Her research emphasizes legal frameworks for equality, particularly in disability services and employment contexts.

Key publications include analyses of Nordic welfare states, employer liability in disability services, and the capabilities approach to substantive equality. She co-authored works on employment contracts, workplace accommodations for disabilities, and the obligations of employers under international human rights frameworks like the UNCRPD. Her work bridges legal theory with practical challenges in implementing rights-based policies.

Ylhäinen has been involved in interdisciplinary projects addressing cognitive impairment in the workforce and the privatization of public services. Notably, her 2025 articles critique legal blind spots in private law regarding disability and advocate for substantive equality through policy reforms.