Holiday pay

The employer must pay the employee’s annual holiday pay before the employee’s holiday starts. If the holiday lasts for six days or less, the employee will receive their holiday pay on their normal payday. In this case, the employee may not receive their pay until after the holiday.

Employees in the public sector, meaning employees working for the Finnish central government, a municipality or a wellbeing services county, receive their holiday pay on their normal payday. However, employees can specifically request to receive their holiday pay before their holiday starts.

How much is your holiday pay?

The amount of annual holiday pay depends on many things. For example, it depends on whether you are paid by the hour or month. If you have any questions about the amount of holiday pay, ask your immediate supervisor or the union representative at your workplace.

The amount of annual holiday pay depends on whether you are paid by the hour or month

Your employment contract specifies how much your monthly pay is. In general, your holiday pay is the same amount as your monthly pay if you are on holiday for a month.

If your regular working hours change before you go on holiday, your holiday pay is calculated according to the holiday credit year. A holiday credit year means a year during which you earn holiday. A holiday credit year always starts on 1 April and ends on 31 March the following year. Your holiday pay can be calculated on a percentage basis or according to your average working hours.

If you work at least 14 days each month, your holiday pay is calculated as follows:

Your annual holiday pay is based on the amount that you have earned per day on average during the holiday credit year. A holiday credit year always starts on 1 April and ends on 31 March the following year.

If you work fewer than 14 days a month, your holiday pay is calculated as follows:

If you work fewer than 14 days a month, your holiday pay is calculated on a percentage basis. If you work fewer than 14 days a month in at least one month, your holiday pay is percentage-based. This also applies if you have worked more than 14 days in other months.

Annual holiday pay is based on an annual holiday percentage that is always 9 or 11.5. This means that your holiday pay is 9% or 11.5% of the pay you earned during the previous holiday credit year, from 1 April to 31 March.

The percentage is 9 if you have worked in your current job for less than a year by 31 March.
The percentage is 11.5 if you have worked in your current job for at least one year by 31 March.

In some cases, the collective agreement specifies that employees will earn more holiday than the law requires. In this case, the annual leave percentage is also higher.

Did your working hours change during the holiday credit year?

Changes to working hours during the holiday credit year affect the amount of holiday pay. Read about how changes to working hours affect holiday pay in different situations.

If you work in the public sector, meaning for the central government or a municipality:

Your employer calculates the average number of hours you worked during the holiday credit year. For example, if you worked full-time for six months and 50% of full-time working hours for another six months, you worked 75% of full-time working hours on average. Therefore, your holiday pay is 75% of your actual pay.

Your holiday pay also takes into account how much of your pay comes from various bonuses, such as night work and Sunday bonuses.

If you work in the private sector, meaning for a company, foundation, cooperative or association:

Your employer calculates your holiday pay on a percentage basis. Therefore, your annual holiday pay is a certain percentage of the amount of pay you received during the holiday credit year, from 1 April to 31 March. The percentage depends on the collective agreement.

Supplements to annual holiday pay according to bonuses paid

You can receive a supplement to your annual holiday pay, meaning extra money, based on bonuses you have earned for Sunday, evening and night work, for example. In the public sector, these supplements are calculated based on the percentage of actual pay earned during the previous holiday credit year that was made up of various bonuses. The maximum supplement percentage is 35. If the employment relationship ends, the ongoing holiday credit year is used as the basis for the calculation.

Collective agreements for the private sector include similar provisions on how to calculate supplements to annual holiday pay.

Collective agreements provide more detailed information

Many collective agreements include provisions on supplementing holiday pay by an amount corresponding to bonuses paid (for evening, night, Saturday and Sunday work), for example.

Collective agreements

Do you work weekends or evenings? You are entitled to these bonuses!

Your pay consists of a basic pay and various bonuses, meaning additional money. If you work on a Saturday or Sunday, in the evening, at night, or on a public holiday that is on a weekday, you will be paid more than usual.

Watch the video about salary and bonuses

Do you have any questions about holiday pay?

As a Tehy member, you are never alone. Ask for help from the union representative at your workplace or contact Tehy regarding an employment-related matter.

Employment relationship advice