Advice at work
Unions can advise on employment questions and, in many workplaces, a shop steward or representative can help discuss issues with the employer.
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SAW Finland · Work guide
A practical newcomer guide to workplace support, contracts, collective agreements, work safety and where to ask for help before a small problem becomes a big one.
🛡️ You do not need to know every rule on day one. You do need to know what to check, what to keep, and who can help.
Work in Finland is not only about getting a job — it is also about understanding your terms. A trade union, an unemployment fund, your employment contract, the collective agreement and workplace safety guidance each have different roles. This page helps you start the conversation and find the right official support.
Unions can advise on employment questions and, in many workplaces, a shop steward or representative can help discuss issues with the employer.
Unions negotiate and explain collective agreements, which can set rules on pay, working hours, holidays and other sector terms.
Membership can offer training, events and professional support. Benefits differ by union, so compare your own sector’s membership terms.
These cards help you start your search. Choose by your real sector, job and collective agreement — not only by the price. Membership fees, student terms and unemployment-fund rules can change, so always check the official page before applying.
For many private service-sector roles, including cleaners, hotel and restaurant workers, commerce workers, security staff and other service professionals.
Visit PAM → Fund & worklife servicesYTK is not a trade union. It offers a general unemployment-fund option and separate Worklife services. Its English page lists the options and current membership fees.
Visit YTK → Trade unionFor employees and professionals in education, teaching and research, including relevant expert and management roles.
Visit OAJ → Trade unionFor employees and students in social care, health care, early childhood education and rehabilitation fields.
Visit Tehy → Trade unionFocused on practical nurses (lähihoitaja) and provides working-life, collective-agreement and member-support information.
Visit SuPer → Confederation directoryAkava is a confederation with many affiliate unions. Use its directory to find a union based on your degree, profession or position.
Explore Akava affiliates → Confederation directorySAK is a central trade-union organisation. Use its liitot.fi search service to find a union for industrial, transport, service and other sectors.
Visit SAK → Trade unionFor many municipal, public-service and welfare-sector roles. JHL also provides immigrant-focused working-life information and activities.
Visit JHL → Trade unionFor academic engineers, architects, computer scientists and other university-trained technology professionals and students.
Visit TEK →How to register: open the official card for your field, check the membership and fund terms, then complete the union’s online application or ask a workplace shop steward for help. A union and a fund have different roles, and eligibility for earnings-related allowance depends on the fund’s rules.
Start with your work field or qualification. The liitot.fi service, a workplace shop steward or your union’s own site can help you find a suitable option. [1] [4]
Check the fee, workplace advice, legal support, training and whether unemployment-fund membership is separate, optional or included.
Save your membership confirmation. Keep your email, phone number and employment information up to date with the union and fund.
Ask who the luottamusmies or shop steward is. They may help explain the collective agreement and raise issues with the employer.
These small habits protect you and make it easier to ask a clear question later.
Your employer must familiarise you with the work, conditions, equipment, safe procedures and hazards before you start a new role or use new equipment. Follow the safety instructions you are given, and ask again if you do not understand. [3]
Stop and ask for guidance if there is an immediate danger. Tell your supervisor or workplace safety contact what happened, where and when. Keep factual notes and save relevant schedules or messages. For an emergency, call 112.
No. InfoFinland states that employees have the right to belong to a trade union and that discrimination because of trade-union membership is punishable. [1]
No. They are separate systems. A fund relates to earnings-related unemployment benefit when conditions are met, while a union can offer workplace representation, advice and other membership services. Check the current rules and membership conditions directly with the fund or union you are considering. [1] [4]
Written contracts are the normal and safest starting point. InfoFinland advises reading the contract carefully before signing and asking about anything you do not understand. If no written contract exists, the employer may still have to provide a written account of the employment terms. [2]
TES is the Finnish abbreviation for a collective agreement. It is not the same as your personal employment contract. Sector agreements can cover pay, working time and holidays, and the applicable agreement should be stated in your contract when one applies. [2]
Ask for time to read it, request an explanation and seek help before you sign. You can contact your union, a shop steward, an employee-rights advisory service or the occupational safety and health authorities. Do not sign a document only because someone says it is “standard.”
Tell your supervisor you need induction and guidance before performing the task. Employers have a duty to familiarise employees with new work, equipment, safe practices and workplace risks. [3]
Yes. The SAK employee-rights advisory service states that it is free and open to everyone, including people who are not union members. A union’s own member services may, however, have separate membership rules. [4]
Write down the date, shift, people involved, what was agreed and what happened. Save your contract, payslips, schedules and relevant messages. Then ask the right person: a supervisor for day-to-day clarification, a shop steward or union for collective-agreement questions, or the official occupational safety authority for guidance about employment and safety matters.
Joining a union can be a good choice, but it is not a replacement for reading your contract, checking your payslip or speaking up about unsafe work. Understand the difference between a union, a fund and your employer’s responsibilities — then choose the support that fits your situation.