The 2nd of May is the opening day of the Summer Job Helpline, provided jointly by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), Akava and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK). Summer employees can contact the Summer Job Helpline by phone, WhatsApp and the service’s online form for advice regarding their employment. The service is available for everyone; trade union membership is not required.
Summer Job Advisor Vee Tirinen encourages all summer employees to contact the service if they have any concerns about their summer job.
Vee Tirinen is a law student at the University of Eastern Finland with a strong background in labour law. In their bachelor’s thesis, them looked into the working time practices in the platform economy.
Sign a written employment contract
Tirinen urges summer employees to request a written employment contract and to review it carefully before signing it. The employment contract sets out the important terms and conditions of the employment relationship, such as working hours, working time, duration of employment, pay and the applicable collective agreement. The signed contract is binding on both parties.
“If you are unsure about any part of your contract, you can turn to the Summer Job Helpline for advice before you sign it. You can also ask for advice on pay, shifts and issues related to trial periods. Questions are always treated confidentially and there is no need to be shy about asking for help”, Tirinen says.
“It is a good idea for a summer employee to read up on their rights and responsibilities. They are entitled to a proper induction. To ensure safe working conditions, the employer is required to make sure that employees are up to speed on things like workplace conditions, the safe use of machinery and equipment, and working practices”, Tirinen explains.
Summer job guidance for young people still in demand
“It is really important to have a free service like this that is open to everyone and is specifically geared to helping with issues related to summer work. For many young people, a summer job is their first contact with working life, and the experience can have a long-term effect on how they view working life”, Tirinen says.
The free Summer Job Helpline has been providing advice and answers to questions asked by young people, their families and their employers for 18 years. Although working life has changed in many ways, the topics of the questions have remained largely the same. Most questions concern wages and working hours. Issues concerning trial periods and work certificates also come up often.
The Summer Job Helpline is open all summer
The Summer Job Helpline is open from 2 May to 31 August. The Summer Job Advisor can be contacted weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. by phone at +358 (0)800 179 279 or on WhatsApp at +358 (0)40 747 1571. The Summer Job Helpline features an online contact form. Advice is provided in Finnish, Swedish and English. You can also contact the service anonymously.
Basic information about summer work is available on the Summer Job Helpline website. Before contacting us, you may want to read the frequently asked questions and answers as well as our Summer Job checklist.