Working in Finland and Turku
Starting a job in a new country can be challengind and raise questions: How should I behave at the workplace? How to adjust to the work community? What are my rights and responsibilities?
Finnish work communities are increasingly multicultural as the number of employees with foreign origin has grown. Finnish work culture still has some special characteristics. For example honesty, punctuality and using your own initiative are valued traits in Finnish work life.
Characteristics of Finnish work culture
- Employees are considered equal and treated equally. All employees are on a first name basis with each other and the opinions of employees are usually taken into consideration.
- Employees are expected to use initiative, be responsible and trustworthy. Supervisors expect that the work is carried out independently.
- Keeping to timetables is important: you need to go towork and arrive at the meetings on time.
- Besides supervisors, also co-workers can ask you to perform a task.
- When people agree on something, it is followed through.
- Interaction between people is quite direct. For example in the meetings it's normal to go straight to the point after the greetings.
Read more from the Institution of Occupational Health guide which offers information about working in Finland. The guide is available in 13 languages. Among other things, it provides advice on how to find a jod and information of the induction proces and the Finnish work culture.
Also InfoFinland.fi website offers good tips when seeking for a job in Finland. Here you can also find information about taxation, employee's rights and obligations and much more.
Working time in Finland
Working time in Finland is normally fixed and agreen on in the employment contract. The maximum working time in the collective labour agreement is regulated by law and is approximately 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. Often the maximum working time for full time work is 7.5 hours per day or 37.5. hours per week.
Working time includes breaks. The lengts and frequency of them depend on the nature of the work and the length of your working time.
At times your supervisor or your duties may require you to be flexible with your working hours. You may also be allowed adjustments to your working time based on your own needs. You need to agree on these with your employer.
International talents share their working experiences in Turku
TingTing Oksanen is an alumn from Turku University of Applied Sciences. Currently she works as Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Manager at ArcDia International. Watch the video and find out what she has to say about studying and working in Turku.
There were many reasons why Meghadipa Goswami, a research assistant at ArcDia International Ltd., was drawn to pursue her Master's Degree in Turku. One of them was gender equality and all the opportunities it provides. She believes Turku is a great place to start one's professional career as a student and then take the next step as a professional into working life.
Material for understanding the working life in Finland
Does Finnish working life still seem a little strange to you? No worries – it will take a while to get used to a new country's working culture and habits. Here are some pages you may find useful:
- Finnish rules for working life (suomi.fi)
- Work-life knowledge service (Insitution of occupational health)
Occupational barometer shows you the employment offices' views about the development prospects in key occupations in the near future. The barometer aims to increase the balance between job seekers and vacancies and promote occupational and regional mobility.
Do you have questions about working in Finland and a residence permit? Finnish Immigration service can answer your questions. Find out, when you do and don't need the permit and much more:
In Finland employees have the right to belong to a trade union.The main purpose of a trade union is to safegueard and improve the benefits and rights of its members. The unions negotiate with employer unions, for example on wages on behalf of employees. The same trade union usually involves people from the same field or with the same education.
Well-being is an important topic, also when working. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health is a research and specialist organization in the field of occupational health and safety offering useful information about the working life in Finland.