Termination of Employment in Finland
A comprehensive 2026 guide to resignation, employer dismissal, fixed-term expiry, probation cancellation, immediate cancellation for serious grounds, notice procedure, hearing, final pay and end-of-employment documents in Finland.
1. First identify exactly how the employment ended
Resignation, employer dismissal with notice, expiry of a fixed-term contract, cancellation during probation and immediate cancellation for an extremely weighty reason are different legal events. The category affects whether grounds are required, whether a notice period applies and what remedies may arise.
Instead of relying on informal expressions such as 'the job is over' or 'do not come back', clarify in writing which legal termination mechanism is being used. At the employee's request, the employer must without delay provide a written statement of the end date and the known grounds for dismissal or cancellation.
2. Employee and employer are not in the same position when ending indefinite employment
An employee on an indefinite contract can generally resign without giving a substantive reason but must observe the applicable notice period. The employer, by contrast, needs lawful grounds and the required procedure to terminate the employment relationship.
Employer grounds may relate to the employee's conduct or breach of duties, or to a substantial and permanent reduction in available work for economic or production reasons. Evidence, warning, reassignment or other duties can differ according to the legal category and facts of the case.
3. A fixed-term contract normally expires at its end date; check the 2026 exception separately
A conventional fixed-term contract ends without notice when the agreed period expires or the agreed work is completed, and generally cannot be terminated mid-term by notice unless the parties agreed on a termination right. The law contains a separate rule for contracts lasting more than five years.
A new termination rule applies to the special reason-free fixed-term first contracts permitted from 1 June 2026: after the employment has lasted at least six months, the contract can be terminated even if it does not separately contain a termination clause. Do not mix this exception with the traditional fixed-term rules.
4. Probation cancellation still has legal limits and procedural safeguards
Where a valid trial period has been agreed, either party can cancel the employment without a notice period. The cancellation cannot, however, be based on discriminatory grounds or on grounds inappropriate in view of the purpose of probation.
Before an employer terminates or cancels the relationship, the employee must be given an opportunity to state their view on the grounds and may use an assistant. Do not assume that procedure becomes irrelevant merely because the employee is still on probation.
5. A warning is often a critical step in employee-related dismissal
Työsuojelu states that where an employee has neglected duties arising from the employment contract, the employer normally cannot give notice before issuing a warning and giving the employee an opportunity to correct the conduct. The seriousness and circumstances of the breach can affect the assessment.
In a dispute, it matters what the warning concerned, when it was issued, what correction was expected and what happened afterwards. Do not assume that an old or unrelated warning automatically justifies dismissal for every later event.
6. Track notice, final pay and the certificate of employment separately
Notice should generally be delivered personally; where that is not possible it can be sent by mail or electronically. Written notice is safer as evidence. The length of the notice period can be determined by the employment contract, collective agreement and Employment Contracts Act.
Check that final salary, holiday compensation and other earned amounts are correctly included in the final settlement. At the end of employment, the employer must provide a certificate of employment if requested. If unemployment follows, do not delay jobseeker registration and the relevant Kela or unemployment-fund steps.
Checklist
- Clarify the termination type in writing
- Request the end date and grounds
- Retain the contract, collective agreement, warnings and correspondence
- Download working-time records and payslips
- Check final pay and holiday compensation
- Request a certificate of employment
7. If you suspect unlawful termination, preserve evidence first
In a disputed termination, first preserve the chronology and evidence: contract, warnings, employer notices, performance discussions, rosters, working-time records, payslips and relevant messages. Relying later only on memory makes the dispute harder to assess.
Työsuojelu can provide guidance and supervise compliance with employment rules, but it does not litigate an individual's compensation claim in court. Depending on timing and financial significance, consider a trade union, legal-aid office or employment-law counsel for case-specific assistance.
Common questions about this topic
Must an employee give a reason when resigning?
For an indefinite contract, the employee generally does not need to give a substantive reason but must observe the applicable notice period.
Can an employer end my employment during probation for absolutely any reason?
No. Probation permits cancellation without a notice period, but discriminatory or probation-inappropriate grounds are not allowed, and the employee must have an opportunity to state their view before an employer termination.
Can I resign from a fixed-term contract?
A conventional fixed-term contract normally cannot be terminated mid-term unless a termination right was agreed. A different rule applies after six months to the special reason-free first fixed-term contracts introduced on 1 June 2026.
When is final pay due after employment ends?
The general rule is payment by the employment end date, although the employment contract or applicable collective agreement can set a different payday. Check holiday compensation and other earned items on the final payslip.
Must the employer give dismissal grounds in writing?
At the employee's request, the employer must without delay provide a written statement of the end date and the known grounds for dismissal or cancellation.
Official sources
The following primary or public sources were checked for this guide. Current authority instructions always take precedence.
- Työsuojelu - Termination of employment
- Työsuojelu - Duration of employment contract
- Työsuojelu - Employment contract
- Työsuojelu - Pay
- Finlex - Employment Contracts Act
- Job Market Finland
Prepared by: ENB Consulting Editorial Team · Reviewed by: ENB Consulting
Legal Process Coordination
Document review, administrative-process planning and coordination with qualified counsel where representation is required.
This guide is general information. The related service is for a case-specific review of your circumstances and documents.
Guides that naturally follow this topic
Salary Negotiation in Finland
A practical guide to evaluating sector, collective agreements, role scope, experience and total compensation when setting a salary expectation in Finland.
Open guideEmploymentTrade Unions and Unemployment Funds in Finland
A basic guide explaining the distinction between trade-union membership and unemployment-fund membership and where workers should verify current rules.
Open guideTax & AccountingTax Card in Finland
An introductory guide to the Finnish tax card, income estimates, withholding and MyTax for people starting work in Finland.
Open guideNeed a case-specific assessment?
General guides do not replace individual legal, immigration, tax or financial advice. ENB can assess your circumstances and documents separately.