Impact of disability or illness on work ability (partial working ability)

In vocational guidance and career planning, you discuss the choice of profession, professional development, placement in the world of work and lifelong learning confidentially with a counsellor.

A licensed psychologist may also, with your consent, use psychological assessment methods to examine professional and career options, competence, suitability and work and functional capacity.

To whom and on what terms

In order to receive vocational guidance and career planning, you do not need to be registered as a jobseeker.

Do the following

Contact the employment authority in your area and ask if you can get vocational guidance and career planning.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

Job seeking is a skill that can be learned. Job search coaching provides you with support and guidance for independent job search.

In job search coaching, you will learn to use different job-search channels and assess different job options from the perspective of your job-seeking and competence.

To whom and on what terms

You can apply for in job search coaching if

• you have registered as a jobseeker
• the employment authority estimates that you need job search coaching
• training is agreed upon in your employment plan.

The employment authority decides who is selected for job search coaching.

Do the following

Contact the employment authority in your area and ask if you can get job search coaching.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

Career coaching might suit you if you have no vocational training, consider changing fields, are returning to employment or consider entrepreneurship.

Career coaching provides you with information, counselling and support that help you get a clearer idea of your choice of profession and career alternatives, applying for education and developing transferable skills. Coaching helps you find your strengths and a new direction for your career.

To whom and on what terms

You can participate in career coaching if

• you have registered as a jobseeker
• the employment authority estimates that career coaching is the best way to support your employment
• coaching is agreed upon in your employment plan.

Do the following

Contact the employment authority in your area and ask if you can get career coaching.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

Work coaching is a suitable service for you if you need personal support for applying for work or starting work or if you have been unemployed for a long time. 

Work coaching is tailored to your needs. A coach will help you find a job or apprenticeship, conclude an employment contract and establish an employment relationship. 

To whom and on what terms

You can participate in work coaching if

• you have registered as a jobseeker
• the employment authority estimates that job coaching is the best way to support your employment
• coaching is agreed upon in your employment plan.

Do the following

Contact the employment authority in your area and ask if you can get work coaching.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

A work try-out may be suitable for you if you are considering your own field or want to find out whether a field is suitable for you. A work try-out is also an option if you have been outside of employment for a long period. During the work try-out, you will participate in general work at the workplace. A work try-out is not an employment relationship, and it does not create expenses for the employer.

Agree on the duration and working hours of the work try-out together with the employment authority in your area and the employer. The maximum duration of a work try-out is six months. 

During the work try-out, you will receive the same unemployment security as if you were unemployed.

If the costs of participating in the work try-out are incurred, you can receive expense allowance for the days of participation. If you do not receive expense allowance from the payer of the unemployment benefit, that is, an unemployment fund or Kela, the employment authority can pay a discretionary expense allowance.

To whom and on what terms

You can participate in a work try-out if

• you have registered as a jobseeker
• the work try-out has been agreed upon in your employment plan
• the employment authority estimates that a work try-out is the best way to support your employment.

In your employment plan, you agree with the employment authority on whether you will find a work try-out place yourself or whether you need help finding a place.

A work try-out may be organised by a company, entrepreneur, municipality, joint municipal authority, other corporation, foundation or government agency or institution. A private individual may not act as the organiser of a work try-out. You cannot go to a work try-out at a workplace for which you are already employed.

Do the following

Contact the employment authority in your area and ask if you can participate in a work try-out.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

A pay subsidy is a benefit intended to promote the employment of unemployed jobseekers that an employment authority can grant to an employer to cover pay costs. The purpose of work supported by pay subsidy is to promote the employment of unemployed job seekers in the open labour market and to improve their professional competence. Pay subsidy also helps people with reduced work ability and those aged 60 or over who have been unemployed for an extended period to find work and participate in the world of work. The subsidy is granted and paid to the employer, but its granting is always based on the unemployed jobseeker’s service need.

A pay subsidy may be granted for

• open-ended full-time employment
• fixed-term full-time employment
• apprenticeship training
• part-time employment if the granter of the subsidy feels that it is appropriate and that it promotes the jobseeker’s possibilities to find employment.

The employment authority assesses whether the subsidy is the most appropriate means of promoting the employment of the unemployed jobseeker and decides separately the duration and amount of each support period. The unemployed jobseeker’s employment plan or pay subsidy card includes a mention of the pay subsidy.

The length of the pay subsidy period depends on the duration of the person’s unemployment and the impact a possibly reduced work ability might have on their work performance. Depending on the duration of the unemployment preceding the pay subsidy, the subsidy would be granted for five or ten months. The subsidy is granted for the duration of the employment relationship at most. The subsidy may be granted for hiring a long-term unemployed person aged 60 or over for a maximum of 24 months at a time.

In most cases, the amount of the pay subsidy is 50% of the salary costs incurred by the person hired with the subsidy. The amount of support granted for hiring a person with reduced work ability is 70% of their pay. The amount of support for an association, foundation or registered religious community may be 100% of the pay. The amount of subsidy granted is between 1,260 and 2,020 euros per month, depending on the grounds for granting. The pay covered with the subsidy is the pay subject to withholding tax that is paid to the employee on the basis of working hours or the performance of a contract.

To whom and on what terms

A company, municipality, joint municipal authority or wellbeing services county or other entity, such as an association, foundation, registered religious community or parish can apply for pay subsidies.

The subsidy cannot be granted for an employment relationship that started before the decision to grant the subsidy was made. An exception to this is the granting of a new pay subsidy period when the new period begins immediately after the previous one ends.

As an employer, you undertake to pay the employee who has been hired with the subsidy at least the salary specified in the collective agreement applicable to the employment relationship or the normal and reasonable salary if there is no applicable collective agreement. Pay subsidy shall not be granted if the pay of the person to be hired with the subsidy would be determined solely on the basis of their work performance.

The subsidy cannot be granted if:

• the subsidy distorts competition vis-à-vis others offering the same products or services
• the employer has essentially neglected their obligation to pay wages or obligations to pay taxes or statutory payments
• the organisation you represent is a company in trouble as referred to in the General Block Exemption Regulation of EU State Aid or if the European Commission has issued a negative Recovery Order against it, which declares the subsidy as illegal or unsuitable for the internal market.

It is possible to receive support regardless of dismissals or lay-offs when the number of employees in an employment relationship at the time of applying for the pay subsidy is at least equal to the number of employees at the time of dismissal or lay-off. The subsidy may not impair the position of your other employees.

If the person hired with the subsidy is transferred to another employer during the pay subsidy period due to the transfer of a business, merger or division of an entity or the merger of entities, pay subsidy may be granted to the employer receiving the employee for the remaining period of the pay subsidy period granted to the transferring employer. The receiving employer must submit an application for pay subsidy to the employment authority within one month since person hired with pay subsidy has transferred to the employment of the recipient or the receiving organisation.

Do the following

Apply for subsidy well in advance before the start of employment. The employment relationship can only start after a decision on the subsidy has been made. 

If you are applying for a pay subsidy extension, submit the extension application before the start of the new subsidy period. The employment relationship must continue immediately after the previous subsidy period ends.

The granted subsidy is paid retrospectively so that the pay periods ended during one calendar month are included in the pay period. You can apply for a payment of the subsidy for several payment periods. However, the subsidy is paid by each payment period.
 
Submit a payment application to the employment authority within three months of the end of the calendar month during which the last payment period of the subsidy period ends. The subsidy period is the period defined in the decision as the duration of the subsidy.

Apply for subsidy and its payment in the e-service

Apply for subsidy and its payment using an electronic form in the e-service. Log into the e-service with your personal banking IDs, a mobile certificate or a certificate card.

Complete the application in the service and attach the required documents. The service’s internal instructions will help you fill in the application. In the e-service, you can submit an application, respond to requests for supplementary information concerning the application, supplement your application and receive decisions concerning your case.

In the e-service, the application can be submitted by an authorised person. Persons without separate authorisation can act on behalf of an organisation if they have an existing mandate for transactions or a right based on register data. The e-service checks the person’s right to use e-services when logging in.

The mandate theme used for the subsidy is called Applying for pay subsidy.

In addition to the mandate, organisations need a business ID to use the e-services.

You can get advice on using the E-service and how to authorise from the Enterprise Finland Advisory Service.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

The cooperation model for multi-sectoral support promoting employment helps you find employment if you need comprehensive support. The aim of the service is to remove obstacles to employment related to, for example, your life situation, state of health, work and functional capacity, and talents and vocational skills. 

In the cooperation model, the employment authority, wellbeing services county and Kela together with you will assess what kind of support you need for finding employment. A multisectoral employment plan will be drawn up for you. The plan will schedule the employment services, social and healthcare services and rehabilitation services you need. 

If you are under the age of 30, you can receive multisectoral advice, guidance and services meant for young people and offered jointly by different authorities and other actors at a low threshold. The purpose of the shared service of multisectoral support service promoting the employment of young people is to promote young people’s study opportunities, employment, capabilities for action and wellbeing.

To whom and on what terms

If you are unemployed and your employment situation could be improved by using labour, social, health and rehabilitation services, the employment authority, wellbeing services county or the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) can direct you to a multisectoral assessment of service needs.

You can use the joint service for multisectoral support promoting the employment of young people if you are under the age of 30. You can also use the low-threshold service anonymously. 

Do the following

Contact the employment authority in your area and ask if they could direct you to the services of the multisectoral cooperation model of support for employment. Your wellbeing services county or Kela can also direct you to the services.

In the joint service for multisectoral support promoting the employment of young people, you can use the services at a low threshold according to your needs.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

If you have an injury or illness diagnosed by a physician that affects your employment and you are about to be employed by a large employer, you can ask the employment authority for a certificate stating that you have been registered as a jobseeker with partial work ability in the employment services customer information system. A large employer is an employer who has insurance from an employment pension company and whose annual salary exceeds the large employer’s salary limit.

Certificate for a jobseeker with partial work ability reduces the threshold for a large employer to hire an employee with partial work ability and promotes your employment. When you have the certificate, your employer’s employment pension contribution category will not change if you have to retire on a disability pension during the first five years of your employment relationship.

To whom and on what terms

You can obtain a certificate for a jobseeker with partial work ability if

• you are an unemployed jobseeker in the employment services of your area
• you have an illness or disability diagnosed by a physician that, according to the employment authority’s assessment, reduces your chances of getting a job, maintaining a job or progressing at work. 

You can request a certificate for a jobseeker with partial work ability when you are about to be employed by a large employer. The certificate is valid for five years from the date of signature. The certificate cannot be issued retrospectively. 

Do the following

Submit a valid medical report or other medical document to the employment authority on an illness or disability affecting your work ability. The employment authority will assess whether your illness or disability reduces your chances of getting a job, retaining a job or progressing at work.

When you are about to be employed by a large employer, ask the employment authority for a certificate of partial work ability. 

If you wish, you can submit the certificate to your employer at the beginning of the employment relationship. 

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

As an employer, you can receive support for arranging working conditions if the disability or illness of a person you are going to employ or who is already employed by you requires

• new tools or furniture
• alterations to be made at the workplace or
• assistance provided by another employee.

The subsidy improves the chances of people with demand-specific work ability 
to find suitable employment or to keep their job in the open labour market.

To whom and on what terms

The subsidy for arranging working conditions is discretionary. The employment authority assesses the appropriateness of the subsidy. The assessment will take into account your employee’s needs and the financial position of your organisation. You must deliver to the employment authority sufficient information for the assessment of the need for the subsidy.

A prerequisite for granting the arrangement subsidy for procurements or alterations due to a disability or an illness of an employee is that you, as the employer, participate in covering the costs with a reasonable sum.

The maximum amount of subsidy for the procurement of work equipment or making alterations is €4,000 per person. The employment authority may grant the subsidy to be paid completely or partially in advance.

The employment authority can grant the subsidy as compensation for the assistance by another employee for a maximum of 20 working hours per month for a period of up to 18 months. The amount of the subsidy is €20 per hour, and it is paid on the basis of the realised time spent for providing assistance. A maximum of €400 per month is paid to compensate for the support provided by another employee.

Subsidy for arranging working conditions is primarily used to eliminate or reduce the harm caused by a disability or illness in recruitment situations. The subsidy may also be granted to support the preservation of the work of an employed person. The subsidy will not be granted for adaptation needs arising from the entrepreneur’s own disability or illness.

Subsidy for arranging working conditions for economic activities is granted in accordance with the General Block Exemption Regulation on State aid.

Do the following

You can only apply for the subsidy using an electronic form. The employment authority will check the conditions for granting the aid and, if necessary, request additional information before the decision.

Apply for the subsidy for arranging working conditions for an alternation or the procurement of work equipment or furniture within a month from the performance of the alteration or the procurement of the equipment or furniture.

The subsidy for arranging working conditions to compensate for assistance provided by another employee is paid monthly and retrospectively. Submit the payment application concerning the subsidy to the employment authority within two months of the end of the payment period.

Apply for subsidy and its payment in the e-service

Apply for subsidy and its payment using an electronic form in the e-service. Log into the service with your personal banking IDs, a mobile certificate or a certificate card.

Complete the application in the service and attach the required documents. The service’s internal instructions will help you fill in the application. In the e-service, you can submit an application, respond to requests for supplementary information concerning the application, supplement your application and receive decisions concerning your case.

In the e-service, the application can be submitted by an authorised person. Persons without separate authorisation can act on behalf of an organisation if they have an existing mandate for transactions or a right based on register data. The e-service checks the person’s right to use e-services when logging in.

The mandate theme used for the subsidy is called “Applying for subsidies for employment, environment, business and transport” (TYPO).

In addition to the mandate, organisations need a business ID to use the e-services.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.