Working in Finland — Your Work Permit and Rights at Work

1. The right to work: permits and registration

Your right to work depends on your nationality and status:

• EU/EEA and Swiss citizens may work freely and register their right of residence after staying beyond the short-term period.
• Non-EU citizens usually need a residence permit that allows work — most commonly the work-based residence permit (työntekijän oleskelulupa), granted in two stages with input from the labour authorities and Migri Ulkomaalaislaki 301/2004.
• Some permits (for example certain student or family permits) include a limited right to work — always check exactly what your permit allows.

A work-based permit is often tied to a field or employer. If you change jobs, check whether you need a new permit or an amendment before you start.

2. You are entitled to fair pay — the collective agreement sets the floor

Finland has no single national minimum wage. Instead, pay and minimum terms are set by collective agreements (työehtosopimukset) negotiated for each sector. Many of these are "generally binding" (yleissitova), meaning they apply to all employers in the field — including yours, and including you as a foreign worker.

This means you are entitled to the same minimum pay, bonuses and conditions as a Finnish colleague doing the same work. Paying a migrant worker less than the agreement allows is unlawful.

3. Your core rights as an employee

• A written statement of terms: your employer must give you the key terms of employment in writing — job, pay, working hours, holiday and notice Työsopimuslaki 55/2001.
• Limited working hours and overtime pay: working time is regulated, and overtime must be compensated Työaikalaki 872/2019.
• Paid annual holiday: you accrue paid holiday and holiday pay Vuosilomalaki 162/2005.
• A safe workplace: the employer is responsible for occupational health and safety Työturvallisuuslaki 738/2002.
• Equal and non-discriminatory treatment: you cannot be treated worse because of your origin, language, religion or nationality.
• Protection against unfair dismissal: an employer needs a proper legal ground and must follow the correct procedure and notice periods to end your employment.

4. Warning signs of exploitation

Foreign workers are sometimes targeted for abuse. Treat these as red flags:

• Pay well below the sector's collective agreement, or "cash" pay with no payslip.
• No written contract, or a contract in a language you were not allowed to understand.
• The employer keeps your passport, residence-permit card or bank card.
• Unpaid overtime, impossible hours, or threats that "your permit will be cancelled if you complain".
• Being charged unlawful fees for the job, accommodation or the permit itself.

5. What to do if your rights are broken

1. Gather evidence: save your contract, payslips, working-hour records, messages and bank statements.
2. Raise it with the employer in writing, stating what is owed (for example unpaid wages or holiday pay).
3. Contact your trade union if you are a member — unions handle pay and dismissal disputes for their members.
4. Contact the occupational safety and health authority (työsuojeluviranomainen, at the Regional State Administrative Agency / AVI), which supervises working conditions and underpayment.
5. Unpaid wages can ultimately be claimed in the district court (käräjäoikeus); serious cases may also be a crime (for example work discrimination or extortionate work discrimination).
6. Get legal help: public legal aid (oikeusapu) can assist if your income is low.

6. If you lose your job

Register as a jobseeker with the employment services on your first day of unemployment to keep your benefit rights, and check how a job loss affects a work-based residence permit — some permits allow a period to find new work in the same field. Acting quickly protects both your income and your status.