Enter into a written employment contract

An employment contract is an agreement between the employee and employer on the rights and obligations of both, or the conditions of employment. Under the employment contract, you promise to carry out the agreed on work, and the employer promises to pay the agreed salary for it. The conditions of employment include salaries, salary extras, working hours, holidays and the right to training.

Once you have received a job, enter into a written employment contract with the employer. An agreement that is orally agreed upon is binding, but if you experience any problems with the employer, a written agreement can be consulted to see what was agreed upon at the beginning of the employment relationship.

If you do not enter into a contract in writing, the employer must still provide you with a written account of the conditions of employment. The account must be given within one month of the beginning of your employment relationship. If the employer does not provide you with an account, it is in breach of the Employment Contracts Act.

Before signing the employment contract, check that at least these matters have been written into it:

Name of the employer.
The name of your employee, that is, your name.
The day on which the work starts.
Is there a trial period in the work, and how long is it?
- The purpose of the test period is to give you and the employer time to consider whether you would like to continue the employment contract. It usually has a maximum length of six months. During the trial period, the employee or employer may cancel the employment contract without a period of notice.
Is the work permanent (i.e. indefinite or continuous) or fixed-term employment, or is it an internship?
- If the employment contract is fixed-term, the contract must specify why.
Where is the work done?
What are your tasks?
How much salary is paid for the work?
The date on which the salary is paid.
Working hours, or how many hours of work there are.
- Full-time work usually refers in Finland to work 5 days a week and at most 8 hours a day. If you do periodic work, the working hours vary. However, it must comply with the collective agreement of the sector. In Finland, a separate compensation is paid for overtime and evening and weekend work.
- If you sign a part-time employment contract, try to get enough working hours to receive a sufficient amount of salary. A minimum number of hours means that you will receive at least the number of hours promised in your employment contract. If, for example, 0-20 hours a week has been written in the employment contract, you may not receive any work or salary during some weeks.
Annual holiday.
Period of notice: how many days/weeks/months work will continue after you or your employer has terminated the employment contract.
- The notice period is binding on both the employer and the employee. No one can be resigned immediately after the trial period.
- The employer must always have a valid and cogent reason for the termination .
- The employer cannot terminate a fixed-term employment contract before it ends.
- The employee cannot resign, either, before the fixed-term employment contract ends, but often the matter can be agreed upon by negotiating with the employer.
Which collective agreement applies to your work?

Read the employment contract carefully before you sign it. If you do not understand anything, do not sign the contract. Advice is provided, for example, by

Checklist for workers entering Finland

Join the trade union

In Finland, the majority of employees are members of the trade union of their sector. You also have the right to join a trade union when you come to work in Finland.
The trade union will help you if you have any problems with your employer.
The trade union negotiates with the employers on the conditions of employment. Therefore, work-related rules have been agreed on your behalf.
Trade union members usually also join an unemployment fund. If you are unemployed, the unemployment fund pays you an earning-dependent unemployment benefit.

You can easily find your trade union here:
Liitot.fi website

Get the required permits

If you want to work in Finland, see what permits are needed for staying and working in Finland. You can find the information i n the Finnish Immigration Service’s application guide.
If you receive a job, you are obligated to show your employer a permit entitling you to work (such as a worker’s residence permit if you are from outside the EU).
The employer can take a copy of your passport and your residence permit, but he may not keep them unless you wish to leave them to be kept by the employer.
Regional employment services all over Finland help you to look for work. Many workplaces require a minimum knowledge of the Finnish language.

Open a bank account

The salary must be paid to the bank account. The salary can only be paid in cash for a compelling reason. Such a reason may be the fact that the employee does not have a bank account. The bank account is personal.

When you open an account, you need a passport or another official identity document. Opening an account is easier if you already have a Finnish personal identity code.

InfoFinland: Everyday life in Finland

Check that you receive a salary in accordance with the collective agreement

In Finland, the law does not determine a minimum salary. Collective agreements determine the minimum salary for each work. The salaries defined in collective agreements apply to all workers in the sector who work in Finland, including foreign temporary agency workers.

You do not need to take part in collective bargaining. Instead, the trade union negotiates on your behalf with an employers’ association.

Check that statutory fees are deducted from your salary

When you receive the first payslip, check that statutory taxes and social security contributions have been deducted from your gross salary:

Taxes: You can see in your tax deduction card the withholding rate paid on your salary. This indicates how many per cent of taxes are deducted from your salary. When you start in a new workplace, the employer must obtain your tax deduction card either from the Tax Administration or directly from you. You will receive a tax deduction card from the Tax Administration when you have a Finnish personal identity code.
Employee’s pension fee: When you work in Finland, a pension accrues on your salary. The employer deducts your pension fee from your salary and pays your pension insurance. If the employer does not do so, it breaches the law.
Unemployment insurance contribution: All employees of 17-64 years of age pay an unemployment insurance contribution.
Trade union membership fee: When you are a trade union member, you can agree with the employer that the union membership fee is deducted from your salary. You can also pay it directly to your trade union. The membership fee is usually 1-2 per cent of your salary, depending on which union you belong to.

If you are working in Finland temporarily, your taxes and social security contributions may be different from those listed above.

Take care of your safety

The employer must advise you on the matters to be taken into account in workplace safety. The employer must also pay the accident insurance that compensates for the damages and losses to the employee or his family if an accident at work occurs or the employee contracts an occupational disease.