As of 31 December 2024, the Patent Office had a total of 58 job positions, of which 16 were in the Trade Mark Department, 16 in the Patent Department, 12 in the Registry Department, 6 in the Intellectual Property Law Department and 6 in the management and directly under the authority of the Director General. Of the job positions, 45 were civil servants and 12 were employees. An independent pre-trial body – the Industrial Property Board of Appeal – is also located within the Patent Office, with two employees. The Industrial Property Board of Appeal is an independent body with staff appointed by the Minister of Justice.
By the end of the year, there were 52 employees in active service relationships at the Patent Office. No new employees joined the Patent Office in 2024, three people left and the voluntary turnover rate from the previous year was 3.8%. The higher education level was 96% among the employees. There were three employees with a doctoral degree. By the end of 2024, 6 employees had worked at the Patent Office for 1–4 years, 9 employees for 5–9 years, 7 employees for 10–14 years and 33 employees for over 15 years. By gender, 79% of the employees were women and 21% men and the average age of the employees was 51.8 years.
In the modern era of remote work, all employees of the Patent Office have the opportunity to perform their daily duties remotely, with flexibility in terms of location and time. Many work from home or other location. For example, the Patent Office has workplaces in Tartu in the office of the Social Insurance Board located at Pepleri 35.
Hybrid work presents both risks and opportunities. The ability to work at any time may result in overwork or burnout. However, physical separation can also bring along the risk of isolation and alienation, making it more difficult for new colleagues to integrate into the organisational culture. To function effectively as a unified organisation, we organised several events and training sessions last year with the aim of strengthening the sense of unity and promoting shared values. All Patent Office employees, regardless of their position, are ambassadors of intellectual property. It is crucial that every Patent Office employee feels engaged and considered a valuable part of the organisation.
The Patent Office has a tradition of selecting the best employees of the year. The best employees for 2024 are:
- Kadri Kroodo from the Intellectual Property Rights Department,
- Mare Lõpp from the Patent Department,
- Kai Klanberg from the Trademark Department,
- Mare Soomets from the Registration Department.
- The Eventof the Year 2024 is organizing the Patent Office's 105th anniversary conference and the "Trademark of the Year" award gala.
- The Person of the Year 2024 was selected as...Margus Viher.
