Statutory notice periods in Finland
Notice periods in Finland run from 14 days to six months for employers and 14 days to one month for employees, based on length of service.
The statutory notice period in Finland is 14 days to six months when your employer gives notice and 14 days or one month when you resign, depending on how long the employment has lasted. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets out these periods on its periods of notice page, and states that they apply unless something else has been agreed. A collective agreement for your sector or your own employment contract can set different periods, within the limits described below.
Who this applies to
- Employees on a contract valid indefinitely (permanent contract): the notice periods in this article apply to you and your employer.
- Employees on a fixed-term contract: the contract ends on its end date without notice, unless termination by notice was agreed.
- Employees in a trial period: either side can end the employment without a notice period.
- Employees covered by a collective agreement: check the agreement first, since it can set its own periods.
- Employees on a work-based residence permit: the notice period and the permit rules run on separate clocks.
Employer's notice periods
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration lists the employer's statutory periods by how long the employment has lasted without interruption:
| Length of employment | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | 14 days |
| Over 1 year and up to 4 years | 1 month |
| Over 4 years and up to 8 years | 2 months |
| Over 8 years and up to 12 years | 4 months |
| Over 12 years | 6 months |
Employee's notice periods
The same page sets shorter statutory periods for the employee:
| Length of employment | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 years | 14 days |
| Over 5 years | 1 month |
Agreed notice periods
Your employment contract can set a different notice period. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that an agreed period may not be longer than six months, and the period the employee must observe may not be longer than the one the employer must observe. If a contract gives the employee a longer period than the employer, the employer's period applies to both.
Collective agreements
A collective agreement (työehtosopimus, TES) can contain its own notice periods. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that universally binding collective agreements bind employers in their sector even when the employer does not belong to an employers' organisation. Where the agreement's notice periods differ from the statutory ones, the same authority states that the employer and the employee must observe the periods in the collective agreement. Your written employment contract or statement of the main terms of employment should name the collective agreement that applies to you, so check it before you count the days.
Start of the notice period and delivery of notice
The notice period starts running on the day after notice is given. Under the Employment Contracts Act, notice is given to the other party personally. If that is not possible, it can be sent by letter or electronically, and it is then considered received no later than the seventh day after it was sent. If the employee is on annual holiday or on leave of at least two weeks, notice sent by letter or electronically is considered received at the earliest on the day after the holiday or leave ends.
Give notice in writing and keep a copy, whichever side you are on. A dated written notice settles any later question about when the period started and when it ends.
Pay during the notice period
The employment continues until the end of the notice period unless you agree to end it earlier. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that the employee is entitled to their normal salary for the entire period of notice, including the usual fringe benefits. The employer may release you from the duty to work, but it must still pay your salary.
If the employer ends the employment without observing the notice period, it must pay the employee full pay for the notice period that was not observed. An employee who leaves without observing the notice period must pay the employer compensation equal to the pay for the unobserved period.
Fixed-term contracts and trial periods
A fixed-term contract ends on its agreed end date without notice. It can only be terminated with notice during its term if the parties have agreed on that. Rules for some fixed-term contracts changed on 1 June 2026: the Finnish Government's announcement states that either party can terminate a fixed-term contract concluded without a justified reason once it has lasted at least six months. The same reform cut the employer's advance notice of a layoff to seven days. The contract types themselves are compared in employment contract types in Finland.
During an agreed trial period of up to six months, either party can end the employment without a notice period, as long as the reason is not discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate. The article on termination of an employment contract in Finland covers the grounds for dismissal.
Work-based residence permits
If your residence permit is based on your employment, losing the job can also affect your permit. The Finnish Immigration Service's end of employment page gives you a protection period to find new work: six months for specialists, EU Blue Card holders, top or middle management, intra-corporate transferees and anyone who has held a work-based permit for at least two years, and three months for other work-based permit holders. If your permit expires before the protection period ends, Migri states that you must leave Finland when the permit expires. Your employer's side of the process is covered in terms of employment for a Migri work permit.
Jobseeker registration
If you become unemployed, register as a jobseeker with your municipality's employment services through Job Market Finland no later than your first day of unemployment. Employment services moved from the state TE Offices to municipalities at the start of 2025. Unemployment benefit can only be paid from the date you are registered. See the guide to unemployment in Finland.
The two benefit routes after a job ends are compared in unemployment benefit in Finland.
The law behind it
The notice periods are set in chapter 6 of the Employment Contracts Act (työsopimuslaki 55/2001). The Finnish-language consolidated text includes the 2026 amendments, which the English translation may not yet reflect.
The date that matters falls on the first day of unemployment if you have not registered as a jobseeker by then, because benefit is only paid from the registration date.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the notice period in Finland?
It depends on who gives notice and how long you have worked there. An employer gives 14 days to six months, and an employee gives 14 days, or one month after five years, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
What is the maximum notice period in Finland?
Six months is the longest period a contract can set. The employee's side may never exceed the employer's, and a clause that tries it falls back to the employer's period, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration explains.
Do I get paid during my notice period in Finland?
Yes, in full. Salary and the usual fringe benefits continue to the last day even if the employer tells you to stop working, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Is there a notice period during a trial period in Finland?
No. Within a trial period of up to six months, either side can end the employment at once, but the reason may not be discriminatory or unrelated to the purpose of the trial, under the Employment Contracts Act.
When does the notice period start in Finland?
Day one is the day after notice is given. A letter or email counts as received by the seventh day after sending, or later if you are on holiday or leave of two weeks or more, under the Employment Contracts Act.
Sources
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Periods of notice, checked 1 October 2026
- Finnish Government, Legislative changes to make fixed-term employment contracts more flexible to enter into force on 1 June 2026, checked 1 October 2026
- Finnish Immigration Service, End of employment, checked 1 October 2026
- Finlex, Employment Contracts Act 55/2001, checked 1 October 2026
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Collective agreement, checked 1 October 2026
Last updated: October 2026