Finland (FI)
Finland is a Nordic parliamentary republic in Northern Europe, bordering Sweden, Norway, and Russia, with a southern coastline on the Gulf of Finland.
Employment Rights
Sick leave, dismissal protection and red flags in Finland.
Finnish employment law provides strong worker protections through statute (Työsopimuslaki — Employment Contracts Act), a comprehensive collective bargaining system (TES — työehtosopimus / collective agreement), and EU employment directives. A key Finnish peculiarity: there is NO national minimum wage — minimum wages are set exclusively by sector-specific collective agreements (TES), and virtually all Finnish employment falls under a relevant TES. If your sector's TES does not cover your role, there is no statutory floor. Always check the applicable TES for your industry. The central employer organisations (EK) and labour unions negotiate TES agreements that cover most of the workforce.
Sick leave
Rules: Employee entitled to full pay during illness. Most collective agreements (TES) provide full salary during illness for a defined period. Statutory minimum: employer pays full salary for at least 9 working days (the "waiting day" carenssi applies only to the first day in some TES agreements — check your specific TES).
Doctor note: Varies by employer and collective agreement. Many Finnish employers require a doctor's note (lääkärintodistus) from day 4 or day 8 — check your employment contract and TES. Some employers allow self-certification for up to 3–5 days.
Employer pay: Full salary for typically 4–12 weeks depending on length of service (as per TES). Statutory minimum (Employment Contracts Act): full pay for at least 9 working days for employees who have worked for the employer for at least 1 month.
Long-term: After the employer-paid sick pay period, Kela sairaspäiväraha (sickness daily allowance) is payable for up to 300 working days (sairauspäiväraha). The amount is income-dependent and varies widely; for average earners it is typically around 50–60% of gross monthly income. Minimum daily amounts are frozen for 2026 (no National Pensions Index increase). Apply at kela.fi. After 300 days, disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke) may apply.
Dismissal protection
Law: Työsopimuslaki (Employment Contracts Act) — strict rules on dismissal. Employer can only terminate for "proper and weighty reasons" (asialliset ja painavat syyt). Must be based either on the employee's personal conduct/performance (individual grounds) or economic/organisational restructuring (collective dismissal). Dismissal without proper grounds entitles the employee to compensation of 3–24 months' salary depending on circumstances.
Deadline to sue: An employee who considers dismissal unlawful must bring a claim within 2 months of being informed of the dismissal. Claims are heard by the käräjäoikeus (district court) or tasa-arvovaliokunta (equality committee) for discrimination-based dismissals.
Probation
Koeaika (trial period): legally up to 6 months. Either party can terminate during koeaika without stating a reason and without notice period. The trial period and its length should be stated in the employment contract. For fixed-term contracts shorter than 1 year, the trial period cannot exceed half the contract duration.
Notice periods
Statutory notice periods by employment length: Under 1 year: 14 days. 1–4 years: 1 month. 4–8 years: 2 months. 8–12 years: 4 months. Over 12 years: 6 months. Collective agreements often provide more generous notice periods. Employer must give longer notice periods than employee in most TES agreements.
Working time
Max hours: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week regular working time. Maximum overtime: employee can be required to work 138 hours overtime per 4-month period and 250 hours/year. Working time is governed by the Työaikalaki (Working Time Act). Many knowledge workers are exempt from Working Time Act limits under "decision-making work" exemption (päätöksentekijät) — check your contract.
Min rest: 11 hours uninterrupted daily rest. Weekly rest: 35 consecutive hours at least once per 7-day period.
Overtime: Overtime (ylityö) paid at: 50% premium for the first 2 hours of daily overtime; 100% premium for subsequent overtime hours. Weekly overtime: 50% for the first 8 hours, 100% above. Many collective agreements provide for time off in lieu of overtime pay (TOIL). Overtime must be agreed by the employee (cannot be compelled beyond TES limits).
Vacation
Vuosilomalaki (Annual Holidays Act): minimum 24 working days (approximately 4 weeks) of paid annual leave per year. Accrual rate: 2 days/month for employment under 1 year; 2.5 days/month after 1 year of employment. Holiday pay (vuosilomapalkka): regular salary during holiday. Holiday compensation (lomaraha): most collective agreements provide 50% of holiday pay as a bonus (lomakorvaus / lomaraha), often paid in June. Summer holiday (kesäloma): employees have the right to 4 consecutive weeks of summer holiday (15 June–30 September). Finnish summer holiday culture is sacrosanct — most employees take 3–4 continuous weeks in July.
Anti-discrimination
Yhdenvertaisuuslaki (Non-Discrimination Act) and Tasa-arvolaki (Act on Equality between Women and Men) prohibit discrimination in employment. Protected characteristics: age, ethnic origin, nationality, language, religion, belief, opinion, health, disability, sexual orientation, and other personal characteristics. Equal pay principle applies. Discrimination claims: yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu (Non-Discrimination Ombudsman) and tasa-arvovaltuutettu (Gender Equality Ombudsman).
Contract red flags
- !No mention of the applicable collective agreement (TES) — all Finnish employment should reference the relevant sector TES.
- !Trial period longer than 6 months — illegal under the Employment Contracts Act.
- !No written employment contract — Finnish law requires a written statement of employment terms within a month of starting.
- !Non-compete clause (kilpailukieltoehto) — must be justified by a specific need and accompanied by compensation of at least 40% of salary during the restricted period (2022 reform).
- !Zero-hours contract (nollatuntisopimus) without clear minimum guaranteed hours — limited protections, check the applicable TES.
- !Salary below the sector minimum in the applicable TES — always check the current rates at your relevant union or sector association.
- !Missing mandatory provisions: annual leave, sick pay terms, and notice periods must all be in the contract or TES reference.
Employment Rights
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