Employee’s Right to Employment Leave

When the employer has terminated an employment relationship based on production-related or financial grounds or during a reorganization procedure, the employee has the right to an employment leave with full pay in order to during his/her notice period participate in the drawing up of an employment plan, thereon based labor market training, practical training and on-the-job learning. At his/her own initiative or at the initiative of the authorities, the employee also has the right to leave with full pay for job-seeking and for job interviews, or for reassignment coaching.

The duration of employment leave is determined based on the duration of the notice period as follows:

• a total of maximum 5 working days, if the notice period is shorter than 1 month;

• a total of maximum 10 working days, if the notice period is longer than 1 month but shorter than 4 months and if the employee was 55 years or older when notice was served; maximum is 15 days;

• a total of maximum 20 working days, if the notice period is longer than 4 months and if the employee was 55 years or older when notice was served; maximum is 25 days.

The employment leave shall not substantially inconvenience the employer. The employer may, however, only deny the leave under special circumstances. If the employer wants to deny the employment leave, the absence of the employee must cause serious harm to the employer, e.g. when several employees want to take the leave simultaneously in a small company. The employer and the employee shall strive to agree upon the matter.