Have a written employment contract

An employment contract is an agreement between an employee and an employer concerning the rights and obligations of both, that is, the terms and conditions of employment. It means you promise to carry out the agreed work, and the employer promises to pay you the agreed salary. Terms of employment include pay, pay supplements, working hours, holidays, and the right to training.

Once you get a job, sign a written employment contract with your employer. An oral agreement is binding, too. But if you experience any problems with your employer, you can consult a written agreement to see what was agreed at the beginning of the employment relationship.

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.

Always check your employment contract for the following:

• Name of the employer.
• The name of the employee, that is, your name.
• The start date of the work.
  • Is there a probationary period? How long is it?
• The purpose of the probationary period is to give you and your employer time to consider whether to continue the employment contract. It usually has a maximum length of six months. During the probationary period, the employee or employer may cancel the employment contract without a notice period.
• Duration of the employment:
  • Is your employment permanent (open-ended or ongoing) or temporary (fixed term)?
  • Temporary contracts must state the reason for being temporary. However, the Finnish government is preparing a proposal that would allow employment contracts of up to one year to be concluded without a justified reason. It could come into effect as early as 2026.
  • The end date or estimated end date of a fixed-term employment contract.
• Where will the work be done?
• What are your tasks?
• How much are you paid for your work?
  • The minimum pay is decided by the collective agreement. Finland has no statutory minimum wage.
• The date on which your wages are paid.
• Working hours, or how many hours you will work.
  • In Finland, full-time work usually means working 5 days a week and no more than 8 hours a day.
  • If you do shift work, your working hours will vary. However, they must comply with the collective agreement of the sector.
  • In Finland, the law requires additional compensation for overtime and work on Sundays. Compensation for evenings and weekend work is often included in the collective agreement.
  • If you sign a part-time contract, make sure you have enough working hours to receive sufficient pay. A minimum number of hours means that you will receive at least the number of hours promised in your employment contract.
  • For example, if your employment contract states 0–20 hours a week, you may not receive any work or wages during some weeks.
  • If you have agreed to variable working hours (e.g., 10–30 hours per week) at the employer’s initiative, the employer must provide you with an explanation of how your working hours will vary in practice.
  • Always write down when and how many hours you have worked. You can check your notes to make sure that you are paid correctly. It can also be helpful in disputes.
• Determining annual leave:
  • You accrue annual leave when you work at least 35 hours or 14 days per month.
  • If you have been employed for less than a year, you accrue two days of leave each month.
  • After working for more than a year, you accrue 2.5 days of leave each month.
• Notice period:
  • The period of notice is how long you must work after your employment contract is terminated by you or your employer.
  • An employer must always have a valid reason for terminating your employment.
  • Employers may not terminate a fixed-term employment contract while it is valid.
  • Employees may not resign while a fixed-term employment contract is valid, but they can often negotiate the matter with their employer.
  • Which collective labour agreement applies to your job?

Read your employment contract carefully before signing. Don’t sign a contract that you don’t understand. There are many sources for advice, such as:

• SAK’s employment counselling
• Summer Job Helpline (from the beginning of May to the end of August)
  your trade union.

Check whether you are an employee or self-employed

Always check with your employer to make sure you are signing an actual employment contract (in Finnish “työsopimus”). If your employer offers you work as a self-employed person instead, you do not have an employment relationship with the company you perform work for. In this case, instead of an employment contract, the contract may be called a “commission agreement” (in Finnish “toimeksiantosopimus”).