Legal aid

Legal aid is granted for employment or civil service disputes, such as members' terminations and pay claims. These are disputes in which an individual member files a lawsuit against their employer in court.

Legal aid is also provided in criminal matters when a member has been a victim of a crime at or in connection with their work. A person suspected or accused of a crime may receive legal aid in matters related to their work. If a member is suspected of intentional criminal activity, legal aid will not be granted without a special reason.

Legal aid is granted after careful consideration. The assessment considers, among other things, the likelihood of success of the claim at each court level. The assessment is made separately for each level of the court system.

Tehy's own lawyers handle our members' legal cases. This allows our members to receive the best possible legal assistance, as our lawyers are specialised in labour law, criminal law and specific issues related to the social and healthcare sector.

You can contact Tehy via the e-services.

• Legal counselling
• Settlement negotiations
• Legal help in the general courts and specialised courts in Finland
• Assistance in the pre-trial investigation of a criminal case.

Most other unions do not provide a similar legal service. The legal costs of disputes are so high that actions such as disputing a dismissal are risky without extensive legal help. Our legal aid covers all the costs of legal disputes. 

• Free counselling services
• No cap on your or the other party’s legal fees
• Excess €0.

• In order to receive legal aid, the member's membership must have been active for at least three months before the event for which legal aid is requested. Additionally, membership fees must have been appropriately paid.
• For special reasons, legal aid may be granted even if the membership has not lasted three months, but the membership must have been active before the events for which legal aid is requested.
• Legal aid is valid for the duration of the Tehy membership.
• Legal aid is valid worldwide, but any court proceedings must take place in Finland.

An employer terminated an employment contract without valid grounds. In January 2020, the employer had failed to schedule shifts for a nurse, who subsequently did not return to work after their annual leave. 

#Tehyauttaa, #tehyhelps
The nurse received €14,000 in compensation for the unjustified termination of their employment.

Read more about the case (in Finnish).

The City of Tampere should have hired Pihlajalinna's employees as existing employees when the City took over the enhanced care housing unit. 

#Tehyauttaa, #tehyhelps
Four nurses received approximately €7,000–10,000 each in compensation for the unjustified ending of their employment relationship. 

Read more about the case (in Finnish).

A patient’s spouse wrenched a paramedic’s arm. This caused an arm injury, pain and an inability to work. 

#Tehyauttaa, #tehyhelps
The Court of Appeal sentenced the assailant to pay 60 day fines as well as nearly €25,000 to the paramedic as compensation. 

Read more about the case (in Finnish).

Pihlajalinna terminated the employment of a 56-year-old female dental hygienist and gave her job to a younger male dental hygienist.

#Tehyauttaa, #tehyhelps
The District Court ordered Pihlajalinna to pay the dental hygienist, who was a member of Tehy, €15,000 in compensation for gender discrimination, €10,000 for age discrimination and approximately €32,000 for the unjustified termination of her employment. 

Read more about the case (in Finnish)