Change negotiations 

Obligations related to change negotiations depend on how many employees you regularly employ.

Employers with at least 50 employees

As an employer, you are subject to a statutory obligation to negotiate if you regularly employ at least 50 employees, and your organisation is about to experience 

• changes in at least one employee's work tasks, working methods or arrangements for working facilities or working hours, 
• actions that may lead to laying off or dismissing one or more employees or changing their full-time work into part-time work on economic or production-related grounds, 
• a decision on lay-offs, or 
• a transfer of business. 

Before starting the change negotiations, you must submit a written negotiation proposal, which must include at least the date and location of the negotiations and a proposal on the issues to be discussed. A written negotiation proposal must also be submitted to the employment authority no later than when the change negotiations begin. The negotiations shall address the rationale, impact, and options of measures directed at personnel. Often both parties have a separate representative in the negotiations. In the change negotiations, the parties must act constructively and negotiate in a spirit of cooperation in order to reach consensus. 

Employers with at least 20 but fewer than 50 employees

If you regularly employ between 20 and 49 employees, you must initiate change negotiations in situations where you are considering reduction measures concerning at least 20 employees over a period of 90 days. Measures to reduce refers to dismissals, layoffs, part-time work or unilateral amendments to a material condition of the employment contract on financial or production-related grounds.

If you are considering layoffs that last up to 90 days and are based on a temporary reduction in the conditions for offering work, you do not need to arrange change negotiations.

Employers with fewer than 20 employees

If you regularly employ fewer than 20 employees and are considering personnel reduction measures, you do not need to arrange change negotiations. However, before dismissing an employee, you must provide them with an explanation of the reasons and alternatives for the dismissal, and inform them about the available employment services.

Help and additional instructions for change negotiations

You can contact your local employment authority and get help with various employment-related matters through the Business E-services section of Job Market Finland.

The change negotiations involve fixed time periods. Violating these can incur compensation payments or fines. Read the instructions for change negotiations carefully.  

If you have under 20 employees, the change negotiations will not apply to you. However, before dismissal, you must provide your employees with an explanation of the reasons and alternatives for dismissal and inform them of the employment services available to them