Problems at Work in Finland 2026 — Unpaid Wages, Discrimination, Exploitation and Where to Turn

1. The first step: a written notice

It is the employer's responsibility to make sure wages are calculated correctly and paid on the agreed day. It is the employee's duty to give the employer, within the agreed timeframe, the information needed to calculate the pay — records of hours worked, for example.

If you see an error in the payment of your wages, ask for it to be corrected immediately, and in any case before the next payday. Always point out a delay to the employer: the remark should be made without delay and in writing. One reason for that is that a written remark proves the date if a claim follows later.

2. Late payment: interest and the days of delay

In an ongoing employment relationship, if the wages are not paid on the agreed day you are entitled to late-payment interest under the Interest Act. The interest begins to accrue on the day after the due date. The calculation is simple: the interest rate multiplied by the amount and by the number of days, divided by 100 times 365. The legal rate for the period from 1 January to 30 June 2026 is 9.5 per cent; if a payment of 300 euros is 29 days late, for example, the interest is 2.26 euros.

After the employment relationship has ended the rule is stricter. If the final pay is late, you are entitled in addition to the interest to full pay for each day of delay, for a maximum of six calendar days, counted from the day following the date on which the wage should have been paid and regardless of whether you would have worked those days. If the amount is disputed or the delay is due to a miscalculation, you are entitled to those days only if you pointed out the delay to the employer within one month of the termination and the employer did not pay within three working days of the notification.

3. Limitation periods

4. What discrimination at work means

Discrimination is prohibited in hiring, during the employment relationship and in terminating it. An employer may also discriminate when setting selection criteria or in the wording of a job advertisement. The prohibition covers placing an employee in a different position on grounds of age, origin, nationality, language, religion, belief, opinion, political activity, trade union activity, family relationships, state of health, disability, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristics.

Mistreatment is not always discrimination. Discrimination means that an employee or job seeker has been treated worse than others precisely because of one of those characteristics. It can be direct — a foreign employee being paid less than a Finnish one; indirect — an apparently neutral criterion putting a person at a disadvantage, such as requiring perfect command of Finnish at the hiring stage when the work does not need it; harassment; denial of reasonable accommodation; or an instruction or order to discriminate.

5. The ban on countermeasures, and compensation

No retaliation may be taken against the person who reports discrimination. An employee must not suffer negative consequences for invoking the rights in the Act, taking part in the investigation of discrimination at the workplace, or taking other measures to safeguard equality. It is a countermeasure if, for example, the employer tightens supervision of an employee's performance after the employee has contacted the occupational safety and health authority about discrimination.

A person who has been discriminated against, or has become the target of countermeasures, is entitled to compensation from the employer. The compensation must be proportionate to the severity of the action, assessed by the type, extent and duration of the infringement, and there is no statutory upper or lower limit. The parties may agree on the compensation; if they cannot, the claim is filed with a District Court. A shared burden of proof applies in court: the employee or job applicant must first present concrete facts giving reason to suspect that the prohibition of discrimination has been infringed — simply claiming discrimination is not enough — and the employer must then demonstrate that there was no breach.

6. A permit or certificate for an exploited employee

If your employer has exploited you and neglected their obligations to a significant degree, you can apply to Migri for an extended permit or for a certificate of expanded right to work and change employer. For this you must hold a residence permit in Finland that contains the right to work. You cannot use this route if you have been working on a certificate for seasonal work or without a residence permit.

Which of the two applies depends on your situation. If your current permit is about to expire and you do not yet have a new employer, you apply for the extended permit: it is granted for the purpose of looking for work or starting a business, it is valid for one year, and it becomes valid when your previous permit expires. If you hold a valid permit and have found a new employer, you apply for the certificate. In both cases your right to work becomes unrestricted and you can work in any field. Significant negligence or exploitation can mean, for example, that the employer makes you work unreasonably long hours, has not paid the salary agreed in your employment contract, or threatens the life or health of you or your family. If a family member of yours holds a residence permit on the basis of family ties, their status stays the same even if you are granted the permit or the certificate.

7. Where to turn

8. Common mistakes

9. A checklist for an employee with a problem