Transition security from the employee’s perspective

The employment authority gives employees and employers advice and support when an employment relationship is changed or terminated. 

The employment authority helps laid-off and dismissed employees find new work or training in cooperation with employer representatives and staff or their representatives. 

Advice and support for employees

You will receive advice and support from the employment authority for job seeking, re-employment and improving your professional competence. 
 
Employees made redundant on production or financial grounds receive support for re-employment already during the period of notice. As a dismissed employee, you will be entitled to paid leave when you draw up an employment plan or participate in labour market training agreed upon in the plan, job-seeking or re-employment training. 

Advice and support for employers

The employment authority provides employers with advice in situations where they need adjustment of activities. In most cases, situations refer to measures targeting personnel, such as part-time work, lay-offs or dismissals. 

In the event of a change in the employment relationship, the employer has obligations that depend on the number of employees and the number of people to be dismissed or laid off. 

The employer is obliged to notify the employment authorities of any redundancies if the redundancies concern at least ten employees. In such a change, the employer must make an action plan that promotes employment and explains how the job search and training of those made redundant will be supported. 

The employer must also provide information on the extended change security of employees over 55 years of age. 

To whom and on what terms

For employees

If you are dismissed from your job and need personal guidance or intend to apply for unemployment security, you must register as a jobseeker with the employment services in your area.

For employers

The service the employment authority offers to organisations in situations involving personnel changes is statutory if the organisation falls within the scope of the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings and is about to enter into negotiations leading to personnel changes. The company must notify the employment authority of the change situation. 

The employment authority also provides guidance and advice in change situations to companies and other organisations other than those covered by the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings where employees have to be laid off or dismissed. 

Do the following

Employees

If you wish to receive personal guidance and advice, register as a jobseeker with the employment services in your area already during your notice period. If you have a Finnish personal identity code, start your job search in the e-service. You can get advice on using the e-service from the employment services in your area. 

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code or cannot use the e-service, contact the employment services in your area. 

Employers

If you need advice in situations of change or dismissal, contact the local employment authority. 

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

If you are dismissed from your employment relationship on production or financial grounds and you have turned 55, you may be entitled to extended transition security. The extended transition security services will support your rapid re-employment. 

Transition security for those aged 55 or over includes

• transition security allowance,
• transition security training and
• extended employment leave of 5, 15 or 25 days. 

The transition security allowance is, on average, equal to your one-month salary. The transition security allowance is paid by the institution paying the unemployment benefit, i.e. an unemployment fund or Kela. 

The purpose of the transition security training is to promote your re-employment. The training increases your professional skills or supports your business operations, and its content meets your training needs. The training may last up to six months and is organised by the employment authority. Participating in the training is voluntary. 

Under the Employment Contracts Act, your employer must inform you if you are entitled to transition security for those aged 55 or over. The obligation to provide information applies to all employers. 

To whom and on what terms

As an employee, you are entitled to transition security for those aged 55 or over if

• you have reached the age of 55 by the date of dismissal,
• your employment contract has been terminated for production or financial reasons on or after 1 January 2023,
• you have worked for the same employer for at least five years with interruptions of no more than 30 days and
• you have registered as a jobseeker within 60 days of the date of dismissal. 

Do the following

Register as a jobseeker with the employment authority in your area within 60 days of your dismissal. 

If you have a Finnish personal identity code, start your job search in the e-service. You can get support for using the e-service from Job Market Finland's E-services advice.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code or cannot use the e-service, contact the employment services in your area. 

The employment authority checks your right to transition security for people aged 55 or over and informs the payer of the unemployment benefit about your right. 

Apply for the transition security allowance from your unemployment fund or from Kela, within three months of the termination of your employment relationship. 

Agree on the transition security training together with the employment authority. 

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