Labour Legislation

Not all text presented behind items in the Labour Legislation menu is regularly updated. Up to date information can be found by following links from the Website of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (www.tem.fi).

In Finland, the employment relationship between the employee and the employer is regulated by different acts and agreements. The acts contain provisions on employment contracts, working times, employees’ rights to take out alternation or study leave, the special position of young employees, the protection of privacy in working life and so forth.

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy prepares the legislation in cooperation with the interest groups of the employers and the employees. The supervision of labour legislation is to a great extent the responsibility of the Occupational Safety and Health Authorities (OSHA) under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

The terms of employment of employees are determined both by the labour legislation and by the collective agreements of different branches. A collective agreement is an agreement made by the employer or by an employers’ association jointly with a workers’ association on terms that should be adhered to in employment contracts or employment relationships. The negotiation activity of the labour market organizations has been described more comprehensively in the brochure on industrial relations and labour legislation (see link).

Additional information on labour legislation is available in the left menu.