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Pay and working conditions in European countries

Finland

Country: Finland

No statutory minimum wage – minimum pay is set in collective agreements, many of them generally binding for a whole sector. Unemployment is high, but health and social services are short of staff, from nurses and practical nurses to doctors. Find out where to look, how to apply and how to get your personal identity code, tax card and Kela card.

No statutory minimum wage. Minimum pay is set in collective agreements (työehtosopimus) for each sector, and many of them are generally binding – they apply to all employers in the sector, equally to Finnish and foreign employees. Where there is no agreement, pay must be “normal and reasonable” for that kind of work. A holiday bonus (lomaraha) is paid only if the collective agreement provides for it.
Working time: regular hours may not exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Overtime needs your consent and is paid at least 50% extra. Total working time may average at most 48 hours a week over the reference period.
Holidays: for each month in which you work at least 14 days or 35 hours, you earn 2 or 2.5 days of paid holiday (the holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March). Summer holidays are usually taken between 2 May and 30 September.
Payslip: you must always get one, showing gross pay, deductions and net pay.
Contract: it may be oral, but then the employer must give you a written account of the terms; a written contract is always recommended. A probationary period can last up to 6 months.
Sick pay: if your job has lasted at least a month, the employer pays you for the day you fell ill and the 9 days after it.

published: 2014-09-04
last modification: 2026-10-03

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Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.

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