Labour Legis­la­tion and Ground Rules of Working

What are the concepts, rules and regu­la­tions, and laws involved in working? The legis­la­tion, agree­ments and work­places shape working prac­tices. The most impor­tant labour laws concern employ­ment contracts, collec­tive agree­ments, working condi­tions, working hours, annual leaves, occu­pa­tional health and safety, equal­ity, and co-oper­a­tion in companies.

People in work commu­ni­ties are team players and, as in any team sport, common rules are needed for the team to play effec­tively towards a common goal. Shared under­stand­ing of respon­si­bil­i­ties and oblig­a­tions also contribute to the conti­nu­ity of a good employ­ment rela­tion­ship.

Generic compe­tence for profes­sional prac­tice and coop­er­a­tion in work commu­ni­ties, also known as work commu­nity skills, concern every­one, regard­less of their status in the work commu­nity, gender, or age. Every­one is respon­si­ble for the good atmos­phere in the work­place. Work commu­nity skills mean, for example, that every­one takes respon­si­bil­ity for their own duties and for matters agreed on together. In addi­tion, they include good manners that every­one should master as well as taking other people into consid­er­a­tion. Greet­ing, thank­ing, apol­o­gis­ing, and forgiv­ing are extremely impor­tant skills and habits in a work commu­nity. Further­more, giving and receiv­ing feed­back in a construc­tive way is part of inter­ac­tion skills needed in a workplace.

Labour law and collec­tive agree­ment (TES)

The oper­at­ing condi­tions of both the employer and the employee are defined by labour legis­la­tion and the collec­tive agree­ment of each field. Labour organ­i­sa­tions and employ­ers’ organ­i­sa­tions conclude a collec­tive agree­ment called TES in Finnish. It is a conven­tion on working condi­tions in the field. The collec­tive agree­ment to be followed should be stated in the employ­ment contract.

Here are some exam­ples of matters covered by collec­tive agreements:

• the minimum wage in the field
• compen­sa­tion for over­time (if differ­ent from the working hours legislation)
• general wage increases in the field
• social bene­fits the employee is enti­tled to have

If you wish to have some advice on issues regard­ing labour law, you can contact e.g. the shop steward of your work­place. If you are a member of a trade union, you can get help from the union free of charge. You can also search for infor­ma­tion online, e.g. on the website of Finlex (finlex.fi). If you are unsure of the collec­tive agree­ment applied in your field or the salary you are enti­tled to, check the websites of occu­pa­tional safety and health author­i­ties or trade unions.

Task 1:

Find the collec­tive agree­ment of your field online.
Read about the wage, holi­days, day offs etc.
Find out about the follow­ing:

• What are the largest labour organ­i­sa­tions and employ­ers’ organ­i­sa­tions in Finland?
• By whom is the collec­tive agree­ment concluded?
• What is the signif­i­cance of collec­tive agree­ment for the employer and for the employee?
• Which trade union does the major­ity of profes­sion­als in your field belong to?
• Who is the concil­ia­tor general in Finland? What is their aim?
• Which matters have trade unions recently discussed? You can search for infor­ma­tion in news, media or, for example, websites of organisations.

Employ­ment contract

Make sure that you and your employer sign an employ­ment contract at the start of a new employ­ment rela­tion­ship. This is also impor­tant for summer jobs and other short-term employ­ment rela­tion­ships. The employ­ment contract defines the prin­ci­ples and regu­la­tions related to the employ­ment rela­tion­ship, which both parties must follow in the work­place and when perform­ing duties at work. You should read the contract care­fully before signing it, since the contract is binding on both parties after it has been signed.

Orien­ta­tion

Both the employer and the employee must follow the rules and regu­la­tions of the work­place and the general work-related poli­cies so that it is fluent and safe for every­one to work.

It is essen­tial that the rules and regu­la­tions are clear and under­stand­able for every­one and that every­one is commit­ted to them. It might take some time to learn the poli­cies, which is why the mentor (manager, super­vi­sor, older employee, entire work commu­nity, or other person in charge of orien­ta­tion) should set an example for the new employee, offer help and guid­ance, and be avail­able to answer the mentee’s ques­tions after the actual orientation.

The supe­rior has the right and respon­si­bil­ity to manage the work and employ­ees’ perfor­mance at work. The employer is respon­si­ble for ensur­ing that the work does not endan­ger the health or safety of the employee. Job orien­ta­tion plays an impor­tant role in comply­ing with this responsibility.

The orien­ta­tion must cover at least the following:

• how to avoid dangers and harms
• duties at work
• circum­stances at the workplace
• working methods and tools
• proper use of the equipment
• safety at work

Occu­pa­tional safety and health

The employer is respon­si­ble for ensur­ing that the work does not endan­ger the health or safety of the employee.

The concept well-being at work refers to the feeling and expe­ri­ence you have of your work­place. It involves the feeling that the work is safe and healthy, you are appre­ci­ated for your perfor­mance at work, good manage­ment, and how differ­ent types of situ­a­tions at work are handled in a profes­sional way.

Occu­pa­tional safety is governed by the Occu­pa­tional Safety and Health Act, which aims to improve the working envi­ron­ment and working condi­tions in order to ensure and main­tain employ­ees’ ability to work. The purpose of the act is also to prevent acci­dents at work, occu­pa­tional diseases and other work-related harms and dangers to the mental and phys­i­cal health of employees.

Source: Käännös. Sujuvat työn­haku­markki­nat –hanke (Flex­i­ble Job Seeking project). Creative Commons Nimeä-EiKau­palli­nen-JaaSamoin 4.0 Kansain­vä­li­nen -lisenssillä.