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In order to receive unemployment benefits, you must provide more detailed information for a labour policy statement, if necessary. Respond to requests for clarification by the deadline.
When you are an unemployed job seeker, unemployment security financially ensures your ability to apply for work and improves your chances of entering or returning to the labour market.
You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.
Register as a job seeker and start your job search on your first day of unemployment so that you can receive unemployment security right from the beginning of your unemployment.
After registering you will receive a labour policy statement stating whether you are eligible for unemployment security. If you are applying for unemployment security, you may receive a request for additional information before the statement is issued.
You may receive an increase in your unemployment security if you participate in services promoting employment. You must agree on participation in the service with your expert either in the employment plan or an equivalent plan.
When applying for unemployment security, first find out whether your unemployment benefit is paid by the unemployment fund or Kela. Various forms of unemployment benefits include earnings-related allowance, basic unemployment allowance, and labour market subsidy.
You should apply for unemployment security from an unemployment fund or Kela, even if the processing of an additional clarification request is in progress at the TE Office. This way you avoid an extra delay in receiving an unemployment benefit when it is determined that you are entitled to unemployment security. You can find out on the unemployment fund's or Kela's website how long after the start of your unemployment you can submit an application for unemployment security.
If you have any questions about unemployment security, the experts at the unemployment security helpline will assist you.
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When you register as a job seeker, you will be asked about matters that affect your eligibility for unemployment security. When you receive unemployment benefits, you must notify us if your situation changes.
You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.
Report changes in your employment situation in the ‘E-services' section of Job Market Finland, the telephone service, or at the office of the TE Office or the local government pilot.
Report, for example, when
Please note that the most common changes that you must notify to the TE Office or the local government pilot are listed above. If you are unsure about how the change in your situation affects your right to unemployment security, you should contact the TE Office, the local government pilot, or the unemployment security helpline. An expert will also give you more detailed instructions on how to report the start and end of employment when you take on temporary work on a regular basis, for example.
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Are you wondering whether you need to notify the TE Office, the local government pilot, or the party paying your unemployment benefit of the start or end of your employment? The decisive factor is whether the work lasts over or under two weeks.
If you are a customer of a TE Office or a local government pilot, always report any changes in your work situation. You can submit a notification in the ‘E-services' section of Job Market Finland or call the telephone service.
At the same time, indicate whether you intend to apply for unemployment security after your employment situation has changed. If necessary, you will receive a new labour policy statement on your right to unemployment security.
You can only receive unemployment security for the time that you are a job seeker and looking for full-time employment. If you are a job seeker who receives a partial disability pension, you do not need to apply for full-time employment.
You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.
If you are a private entrepreneur, the termination criteria applied to your entrepreneurship are different from those applied to company form business operations. Under the Unemployment Security Act, your entrepreneurial activity as a private entrepreneur is seen to have ceased when production and economic activities have ended according to your notification which is deemed reliable, or it is otherwise evident that you will no longer continue the entrepreneurial activity. It is an additional requirement that you have cancelled your entrepreneur's pension insurance (YEL) or farmer's pension insurance (MYEL), except for MYEL taken out for a grant period.
The TE Office or the local government pilot will, before the matter is decided, send a written request for clarification regarding your entrepreneurial activity.
When you start an employment relationship lasting up to two weeks
When you start entrepreneurial activity lasting up to two weeks,
When you end an employment relationship or entrepreneurial activity that lasted no more than two weeks, notify the payer of your unemployment benefit of it.
When you start an employment relationship or entrepreneurial activity lasting more than two weeks, report it to
If you wish, you can continue as a job seeker in the TE Services or you can stop your job search completely.
When you end an employment relationship or entrepreneurial activity that has lasted more than two weeks, you should take action according to whether your job search is valid.
The TE Office or the local government pilot will determine whether you are entitled to unemployment security and can ask you to submit certificates of your business activities or employment relationship.
More information
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In a mandatory waiting period (karenssi), a job seeker temporarily loses the right to unemployment security because they have acted in an improper manner in terms of labour policy. In legislation, the waiting period is referred to as an unpaid time period. On this page you will find information on the most common causes of a mandatory waiting period.
Your job search obligation, participation in services, and the timeframe of completing them are agreed upon in your employment plan.
The TE Office and the local government pilot can make job offers to job seekers. Job offers are obligatory if your job search has lasted six months since the initial interview. A job offer is not obligatory if you have reported that you have applied for the agreed number of job opportunities before the job offer.
If you, for example, neglect your appointments, updating the plan or participating in services, fail to fulfil your job search obligation, or repeatedly fail to apply for a job indicated in an obligatory job offer during the 12-month review period, waiting periods of different lengths may be imposed for these improper actions.
The most common causes for being imposed a waiting period are, for example
You will also be put under a mandatory waiting period if you repeatedly fail to meet agreed appointments with the TE Office or the local government pilot, or if you do not submit the documents related to your ability to work as agreed. As a result, your job search and thus your right to unemployment security will end for the time being.
The graduated waiting period works as follows. A reminder will follow from the first forgetful action or failure. If you do not fulfil your agreed job search obligations after receiving the reminder, you will be placed on a 7-day mandatory waiting period. If you still fail to comply with your obligations, you will be subject to a 14-day waiting period. For the fourth failure to comply, you will lose your entitlement to unemployment security for the time being until you fulfill the obligation to work. The review period is 12 months.
Please note that the mandatory waiting period is different from the 7-day waiting period. The 7-day waiting period refers to the first five days of unemployment for which the provider of unemployment security, i.e. Kela or the unemployment fund, does not pay the daily allowance.
An expert from the TE Office or the local government pilot can make you job offers. Job offers are mandatory if your job search has lasted six months from the initial interview. Employers can also directly offer you work. Refusing work may result in a temporary loss of unemployment benefits.
If your own actions cause an employment relationship to not start, this is considered a refusal to work.
The regulations of the Unemployment Security Act concerning refusal to work are only applied to work in an employment or public service relationship.
If you resign without a valid reason, the mandatory waiting period will be 30 or 45 days from the end of your employment, depending on the length of your employment. If the work would have lasted no more than five days, the waiting period is 30 days. If the work would have lasted more than five days, the waiting period is 45 days.
If you cause the termination of your employment with your own improper actions, you will be placed under a waiting period of 30 or 45 days from the termination of your employment, depending on the length of your employment.
If you refuse a work or training trial or other employment-promoting service without a valid reason, a graduated waiting period will follow. This means that a reminder will follow from the first failure to comply, a 7-day waiting period from the second, a 14-day waiting period from the third, and from the fourth, you will lose your entitlement to unemployment security for the time being until you fulfill the obligation to work. The review period is 12 months. If your actions cause you to not be selected for a service, this is considered a refusal.
If you terminate the service without a valid reason, a graduated waiting period will follow. This means that a reminder will follow from the first failure to comply, a 7-day waiting period from the second, a 14-day waiting period from the third, and from the fourth, you will lose your entitlement to unemployment security for the time being until you fulfill the obligation to work. The review period is 12 months.
If you do not take part in the initial interview or integration training (including self-study with unemployment benefits) during the integration period, a graduated waiting period will follow. This means that a reminder will follow from the first failure to comply, a 7-day waiting period from the second, a 14-day waiting period from the third, and from the fourth, you will lose your entitlement to unemployment security for the time being until you fulfill the obligation to work. The review period is 12 months.
If you have an obstacle that prevents you from participating in an interview, job search discussion, or drafting an employment plan, let your assigned expert know. If the obstacle is an illness, accident, or other cause beyond your control, no mandatory waiting period will be imposed.
You will not be placed under a waiting period in each case of resignation, as you may also have a valid reason to resign. You may have a valid reason to resign,
When looking at time, public transport, the use of a bicycle or your own car, as well as the possibility to walk on a business trip are taken into account. You are not required to own a car.
Criteria in accordance with the Employment Contracts Act, such as non-payment of wages and endangering occupational safety, are also considered valid reasons for resignation. However, try to resolve conflicts at the workplace first. You can talk to your supervisor yourself or with the help of a trade union representative or an occupational safety and health representative. The occupational safety and health authorities can help you with certain matters.
You may have a valid reason for refusing a job that you have applied for or have been individually selected for by your employer without being imposed a waiting period, if it is
You also have skills protection, which means that during the first three months of unemployment, you can refuse work that does not correspond to your professional skills acquired through education or work experience.
You can also refuse if you have not been given a reasonable amount of time to arrange childcare or care for another person dependent upon you and to overcome commute-related or other similar difficulties.
If you refuse a job that you had applied for and been selected for, you have a valid reason to refuse the job only if you were unaware of the above matters when applying.
You will never be imposed a waiting period for refusal to work as an entrepreneur.
You may refuse to participate in a service promoting your employment or discontinue using the service without notice, if
You are allowed to refuse or discontinue labour market training if the work in the sector is not suitable for you considering your state of health and work ability, or the income of you and your dependants is not reasonably secured during the training. A reasonable income means that you receive benefits in accordance with your entitlement to unemployment security.
If you have any questions regarding the mandatory waiting period, please contact the unemployment security advice telephone service.
Are you dreaming of a new step in your career? Do you want to discover a hidden job? Are you looking to find your next job opportunity in Finland? When you create and publish a job applicant profile at Job Market Finland, you give employers looking for employees the opportunity to contact you.
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