Remember these things at your new job
You should take care of the basics as soon as you hear that you got the job. Check out the list below to see what you need to keep in mind after getting a job.
Remember these things
Have a written employment contract
Don’t sign a contract, if you don’t understand it. Ask for advice, instead. If you don’t have a written employment contract, your employer must still provide you with a written account of the terms of employment if your working hours exceed three hours per week for four successive weeks.
You are entitled to receive induction training, which is guidance on your work tasks and the rules of your workplace
During your induction, your job duties are explained and you’re taught how to carry them out as effectively and sensibly as possible in your new workplace.
Ask your employer which collective agreement applies at your workplace
You can get the collective agreement for your industry (often abbreviated as TES in Finnish) from your workplace, trade union or the Finlex online service. If your employer is not obligated to abide by a collective agreement, they must still comply with the law. The law stipulates the general rights and obligations of employees.
Try to negotiate a minimum number of hours in your employment contract
An employer can offer you a zero-hour contract, which means that your employment contract only guarantees you 0–20 hours of work per week, for example. If you’re not given any working hours, you won’t be paid, either. For example, if 15 hours a week is entered as the minimum number of hours, you must be paid wages for at least 15 hours.
Whenever you receive pay, you must receive a payslip
Always check that your wages have been paid correctly.
Keep your work schedules
If you work shifts, always make sure to take a photo of your shift schedule. Then you’ll know how much you’ve worked and when, in other words, how much pay you should get.
When your employment relationship and employment contract end, check that you receive holiday compensation
If you haven’t used all your holidays during your employment, you must be paid holiday compensation. You can see the amount of holiday compensation in your payslip.
When your employment ends, always ask your employer for an employment certificate
When applying for a new job, you can show your employment certificates in your job interview.
Get to know the shop steward and the safety representative at your workplace
The shop steward or union representative and the safety representative negotiate matters with the employer on behalf of all employees. The shop steward can help if you have problems with your employer.
Join a trade union
A trade union is an organisation that brings together workers in the same sector. The trade union agrees on the conditions of employment with the employers. Ask the shop steward or union representative of your workplace or SAK’s employment counselling about the trade union and joining it.
