If a person quits the job, any financial support available?

Maia · Post by **Maia** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 8:28 pm

Hi there!

I have been working from October 2013 full time jobs. At the moment I have a job which does not fullfill me and is way below my education so would like to quit it and inroll in Finnish language course, which was my first plan when I arrived to Finland. I am aware that there are programs such as integration assistance etc but I don't qualify for it since I have a full time job and the other problem is - I wouldn't want to wait for a language course, but would like to start asap!
In case I quit my job, I would not have any income so it would be pretty hard (impossible) for me to live here, attend the course and look for a better job. All of the things written above lead to question - do I have any right on some kind of unemployment benefit, labour market subsidy or any kind of financial assistance?
I am not a member of an unemployment fund or union.

I appreciate useful and accurate information.

Kiitos!

M.

**Sponsor:**

GermanInHelsinki · Post by **GermanInHelsinki** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:44 pm

If you voluntarily quit your job there is of course a 5 months waiting period before you qualify for any unemployment benefits.

There are of course many Finnish courses available for working foreigners.

In the current economic situation hoping for a better job is of course far too optimistic.

The way prime minister Stubb is completely failing in preventing the EU from imposing sanctions on Russia you will of course soon feel lucky if you are able to keep your current job.

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:28 am

Maia wrote: I am not a member of an unemployment fund or union.

Consider joining one immediately (unemployment funds are not that expensive).

GermanInHelsinki wrote:If you voluntarily quit your job there is of course a 5 months waiting period before you qualify for any unemployment benefits.

http://en.ytk.fi/en/benefits_abc/condit ... onditions/

"If you have resigned without valid reason or have caused the termination of your employment, the employment office can order a 30 or 90 day period according to the duration of the employment, during which there is no entitlement to unemployment allowance."

If the OP does not have savings or other source of income, there's always income support from the municipality. It will only cover the basics though:

http://www.hel.fi/www/Helsinki/en/socia ... e-support/

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:44 am

tummansininen wrote:And you have proven that you are able to work and that is the goal of the TE-office. Their goal is not to get everyone fluent in Finnish, it's to get everyone into work.

And they do not need to follow your wishes. They might sent you to a vocational course if they think it will help you to get a job. You managed to get a job outside of your education so your Finnish was no handicap there.
And I suspect they will be more interested to help Finns that became unemployed (Nokia, sanctions) than foreigners who just want a better job.

CH · Post by CH » Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:28 am

tummansininen wrote:
betelgeuse wrote:
Maia wrote: I am not a member of an unemployment fund or union.
Consider joining one immediately (unemployment funds are not that expensive).
Is there any point? Do they pay out if you voluntarily quit the job?

After the probation period, yes. So, always belong to an unemployment fund as the basic unemployment benefit is really low! YTK is really cheap, if one doesn't want to pay for the additional benefit a union one will give you.

I would suggest you join an unemployment fund now and at least wait until you would qualify for the beneftis. Meanwhile try to find a better job. If you don't find a new better job during this time, at least take into account how employable you are before quitting your current job.

irnbru · Post by **irnbru** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:46 am

You can learn Finnish without going on a course. Keep your job, learn Finnish, join YTK, look for a better job.

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:52 pm

1- Do not quit your job unless you have a sugar daddy/mommy.
2- There are many night courses to learn Finnish.
3- You've been here for a year and you're not a member of any union/fund?! Why? It's like 25 EUR a month. You pay more for beer on a Saturday night.
4- Always look for a better job.

aguinness · Post by **aguinness** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:28 pm

Join an unemployment fund with a union immediately, and wait till you qualify for benefits. I was in a Union for years and often wondered why, but when I lost my job I realised why! over about a year while I was unemployed and waiting to start UAS degree I got far more money back from the union than I ever paid into it and allowed me to still live a normal lifestyle.

Maia · Post by **Maia** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:48 pm

So, to sum up all the answers.
In my case, even if I don't quit the job but get fired for no specific reason, I don't qualify for earnings related allowance but for basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy. OK.
And does the fact that the job I am doing caused me medical problems has some influence on any of the benefits?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:41 pm

adnan wrote: Why? It's like 25 EUR a month.

Fund only is less than 10 euros - and you get something like 40% back in reduced taxes. Unless one is absolutely sure to never get unemployed (or would not qualify for benefits because of family business), joining at least a fund is a no-brainer.

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:35 pm

Maia wrote: And does the fact that the job I am doing caused me medical problems has some influence on any of the benefits?

If you have to resign due to medical problems, you would not have a suspension period. However, you would have to have a paper trail from your work health care.

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:12 am

Rip wrote:
adnan wrote: Why? It's like 25 EUR a month.
Fund only is less than 10 euros - and you get something like 40% back in reduced taxes. Unless one is absolutely sure to never get unemployed (or would not qualify for benefits because of family business), joining at least a fund is a no-brainer.

Mine take about 25-35 a month in unemployment fund and union fees.
I had no idea you can declare the fees in the verokortti for tax deductions. Thanks for the information!

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:23 am

adnan wrote:
Rip wrote:
adnan wrote: Why? It's like 25 EUR a month.
Fund only is less than 10 euros - and you get something like 40% back in reduced taxes. Unless one is absolutely sure to never get unemployed (or would not qualify for benefits because of family business), joining at least a fund is a no-brainer.
Mine take about 25-35 a month in unemployment fund and union fees.
I had no idea you can declare the fees in the verokortti for tax deductions. Thanks for the information!

Usually they are there automatically since the unions declare the information to the tax authority.

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Wed Aug 13, 2014 9:30 am

roger_roger wrote: Now I am member of YTK and its 99 Euros/Year + 18 euros for something I paid extra called Additional Security http://www.ytk-yhdistys.fi/. I don't really know what does it mean or do, but it was just 18 euros and much less than what I was paying to TEK.

Damn! I better switch to YTK, I'm paying nearly 350 a year in union and unemployment fund fees.
I pay a percentage of the salary.

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