Unemployment Benefits

Ice_Man · Post by **Ice_Man** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 9:09 am

As job uncertainty continues in Finland, I am curious to understand what government benefits are available should one be laid off from their employer? Assuming that you have been working and paying taxes for over 2 years.

Also, I have heard about unemployment insurance funds which, for an annual subscription fee, will pay you x% of your salary should you be made redundant. Any comments, experiences or recommendations?

Cheers,
Ice_Man

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Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 9:56 am

Ice_Man wrote:As job uncertainty continues in Finland, I am curious to understand what government benefits are available should one be laid off from their employer? Assuming that you have been working and paying taxes for over 2 years.

http://www.kela.fi/web/en/unemployment

Ice_Man wrote:Also, I have heard about unemployment insurance funds which, for an annual subscription fee, will pay you x% of your salary should you be made redundant. Any comments, experiences or recommendations?

http://en.ytk.fi/

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:00 am

http://www.kela.fi/web/en/unemployment

The optional unemployment fund is highly recommended unless you're exceptionally sure you'll never hit by unemployment (it is perhaps the only insurance were on average get more than you paid for). If you're member of an union, you're already enrolled. If not you can take the one that fits your occupation/education or (for anybody) http://en.ytk.fi/ (the fees vary somewhat, the amount you get paid if unemployed is based on law and (for given salary) the same what ever fund you enrolled).

(Upphew beat me, but anyway)

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:35 am

If you don't belong to an union or unemployment fund, JOIN NOW! www.ytk.fi and hope and pray you won't get laid off before 10 months. The "government-based" unemployment is jack.

Ice_Man · Post by **Ice_Man** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:02 am

Thanks for the info folks!

Out of interest Pursuivant, where did you get 10 months from? My interpretation is that you have to be a member of the fund for 6 months before making a claim: http://www.tyj.fi/eng/earnings-related_ ... mployment/

Assuming one was unemployed and claiming unemployment benefits (including earnings-related allowance), are there any compulsory programs or initiatives that you are required to participate in as a job-seeker?

Basically, my chances of getting a new job in Finland at the level I am at now would be slim. Would there be anything to stop me, say, traveling the world for the 500 days in which I would get the benefits before re-locating back to my home country? Just hypothetically of course!

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:46 am

"Membership condition and the condition regarding previous
employment for employees
If you are an employee, you must have been employed for 26 calendar
weeks to meet the condition regarding previous employment. That means
that you must have been employed for about six months in order to
meet the condition regarding previous employment. Each week you have
worked for at least 18 hours and have been paid in accordance with your
sector’s collective agreement meets the condition regarding previous
employment. If your sector does not have a collective agreement, your pay
for full-time work must have been at least 1,154 euros per month."

Ice_Man · Post by **Ice_Man** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:59 am

Upphew wrote:"Membership condition and the condition regarding previous
employment for employees
If you are an employee, you must have been employed for 26 calendar
weeks to meet the condition regarding previous employment. That means
that you must have been employed for about six months in order to
meet the condition regarding previous employment. Each week you have
worked for at least 18 hours and have been paid in accordance with your
sector’s collective agreement meets the condition regarding previous
employment. If your sector does not have a collective agreement, your pay
for full-time work must have been at least 1,154 euros per month."

So, in order to qualify for unemployment benefit payments, you have to be employed for 26 calendar weeks -> therefore the length of time spent as a member of the fund is irrelevant?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:37 pm

You can only claim earnings-related allowance if you meet the condition regarding previous employment while you are a member of an unemployment fund, meaning that you must have been a member for a minimum of 26 weeks to qualify for the allowance

Ice_Man · Post by **Ice_Man** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:59 pm

Thanks again for the info everybody. I will submit my application to join the fund this weekend. Hopefully this thread will encourage those in employment who are not currently members of a fund to join too.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 4:19 pm

10 months was something related with KELA - if you haven't been employed, you're not "unemployed" if you lose work. And if you are not "unemployed" by KELA then the fund does not pay as its for "unemployd". Its a legal definition, got nothing to do being sacked

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 5:09 pm

It looks like it really is six months now. It was eight last year and probably that ten months (I initially thought so too) I few years before that(?)

So those that have 6 months notice time could actually enroll after the dreaded YT call(?!)

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:16 pm

tummansininen wrote:The section pasted means (in English at least) that you must have been employed 26 weeks to become a member. It says membership condition, not payout condition, but I gather that's the entire point and membership length would be moot once you're accepted as a member. Ideally you need to check what it says in Finnish to be sure that it was translated correctly and that it is correct in context.

You can be member, i recommend that you be member, from first day on work but you dont get any additional unemployment funds if you havent been working AND member of fund at least x amount of time.
So if you have been working 50 years and been member of fund 1 month, no additional unemployment funds to you.
Of course there is some x months in y years but its all "while in unemployment fund".

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:06 pm

Ice_Man wrote: Basically, my chances of getting a new job in Finland at the level I am at now would be slim. Would there be anything to stop me, say, traveling the world for the 500 days in which I would get the benefits before re-locating back to my home country? Just hypothetically of course!

You can move your residence to other three EU countries for a max of 3 months:

http://www.te-palvelut.fi/te/fi/tyonhak ... index.html

The integration courses were already mentioned. There are other types of courses they might put you on. You will be able to take short holiday trips. Longer trips you might have trouble with the rules that say you must be available to accept work.

Markmywords · Post by **Markmywords** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 1:41 pm

Upphew wrote:"Membership condition and the condition regarding previous
employment for employees
If you are an employee, you must have been employed for 26 calendar
weeks to meet the condition regarding previous employment. That means
that you must have been employed for about six months in order to
meet the condition regarding previous employment. Each week you have
worked for at least 18 hours and have been paid in accordance with your
sector’s collective agreement meets the condition regarding previous
employment. If your sector does not have a collective agreement, your pay
for full-time work must have been at least 1,154 euros per month."

Just out of interest, does the previous employment have to have been in the EU? What if an EU citizen had previously worked outside the EU, would that count? Cheers

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:29 pm

Markmywords wrote:
Just out of interest, does the previous employment have to have been in the EU? What if an EU citizen had previously worked outside the EU, would that count? Cheers

Possibly:

http://www.kela.fi/web/en/eligibility_c ... employment
http://en.ytk.fi/benefits-abc/working-a ... -countries

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