When you have been offered a job or intership it is time to sign the employment contract. A written contract decreases the risk of misunderstandings regarding the job.
The employment contract (in Finland) includes at least the following information (N.B. that some of these are regulated by national collective agreements):
- work tasks and position/profession
- form of employment (indefinite or temporary duration)
- period of notice
- wage and benefits
- working hours (part or fulltime) and compensation for overtime
- pension
- sick pay
- pay during parental leave or military service
- mileage and daily allowance
If you workplace has a collective agreement (which is mostly the case in Finland) the employment contract refers to this. A collective agreement regulates e.g. annual leave, periods of notice, overtime, sick leave and sick pay and wages. The collective agreemet regulates only the minimum levels and organisations can agree on better terms of employment.
More information regarding employment contracts can be found on:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Finland
- Akava – Trade Union Confederation
- Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
Wages
Discussions on wage in the private sector are often initiated already when applying. Although less common, it is possible to affect the salary in the public sector, often when you have been working for the organisation for some time.
How much you should ask for is a tricky question with no exact answer. Many times it’s good to express the wage claim between two sums instead of one. Do not underestimate your input and be diplomatic when negotiating salaries.
Think about the following when deciding what to ask for:
- salary recommendations of unions (mainly for private sector)
- check collective agreements
- how demanding the work tasks are
- your study situation (studying or newly graduated)
- your previous working experience