is it the case of sex discrimination and other questions

[Evaphio]

I recently moved to Finland and found a job. The job itself is ok (cleaning).
But there are several strange things about the way the employers approach the labour relationships.

These things are:
I asked them is they needed other workers. The answer was yes, but they said they want only women, as "women work better than men". I said that my friend who is a woman wanted job, and they asked: "How old is she?" + there were some sexual jokes and questions like: do you want to go to disco this weekend? I hope it is only low culture, but I do not feel good about it at all. Is it the case of discrimination (for men) when an employer says he wants only women? And how is such behaviour regarded in general in Finland?

Another strange thimg is that I had to put some pressure on them and said I would go to the police to make the send me the draft copy of the contract. They used a lot of excuses like: What if we sign the contract and then we do not like you? Or: you do not have the permanent address so we can not make it. They were ready to pay though for a week of my work, but not offciallly. I did not agree to take the money without the contract anyways.

Also - are hours of training counted as work or not? If it is your first day of work and you are only shown how to work, are you paid? Or are you paid only a part of the sum as you really do not work?

I like the work, but the employers give me some strange feeling of anxiety)

Thanks!)

[rinso]

It sounds like they try to be smart in the tax paying area.

[CH]

Well... I would say "walk away", but I guess it's not so easy if you need the job. On the other side, they might be very well be exploiting that.

I asked them is they needed other workers. The answer was yes, but they said they want only women, as "women work better than men". I said that my friend who is a woman wanted job, and they asked: "How old is she?" + there were some sexual jokes and questions like: do you want to go to disco this weekend? I hope it is only low culture, but I do not feel good about it at all. Is it the case of discrimination (for men) when an employer says he wants only women? And how is such behaviour regarded in general in Finland?

Well, if they said that on a open position notice, then it would indeed be illegal. Or if they only hired women even tough there were applications from men who had better qualifications. But I think that falls into a gray area. Sexual jokes etc is not ok, but you need to make clear that you do not want to hear anything like that. After that it becomes sexual harassment. (Before that, it's again a bit of a gray area.)

Another strange thimg is that I had to put some pressure on them and said I would go to the police to make the send me the draft copy of the contract. They used a lot of excuses like: What if we sign the contract and then we do not like you? Or: you do not have the permanent address so we can not make it. They were ready to pay though for a week of my work, but not offciallly. I did not agree to take the money without the contract anyways.

You need a contract to work. Do not work without a contract. They are totally !"#¤% you. A contract usually contains a trial period, usually 4 months, and during that time either the empoyer or employee can terminate the contract, without any reason, effective immediately. So, "what if we don't like you" is bs, as that's what the trial period is for. And absolutely no paying "under the table". You give them your tax card, they give you a pay slip where it shows what they have payed where (tax, työeläkemaksu, työttömyysvakuutusmaksu... or whatever it all is again). If you have any doubt if your taxes have been payed or not, contact Vero (http://www.vero.fi). If you get caught not paying taxes, and you don't have payslips showing that all has been payed, it's you who is in trouble (and they, too, but well...).

Also - are hours of training counted as work or not? If it is your first day of work and you are only shown how to work, are you paid? Or are you paid only a part of the sum as you really do not work?

I'm not 100% sure here, but I think training should be counted as work. You might have in your contract that during training your pay will be x, and after that it will be y.

Honestly... I think they are taking you for the ride. No work contract, trying to pay you under the table... it sure doesn't sound legit.

[Evaphio]

Thank you for replies.

The thing is that I also have not a good feelig about them. Maybe I am paranoic) But maybe it is natural to be anxious when someone is trying to decieve you.

Maybe someone knows if there is any service that can give consultations concerning labour legislation? I so far have found mol.fi )))

[Upphew]

Maybe someone knows if there is any service that can give consultations concerning labour legislation? I so far have found mol.fi )))

http://www.pam.fi/en/Pages/Default.aspx