Study Leave

When the employment relationship has lasted at least a year, the employee is entitled to unpaid study leave. The maximum duration of the study leave is two years during a period of five years. Study leave is primarily granted for education under governmental supervision or studies at a vocational high school, a university or an adult education establishment.

Study leave of five days or less must be applied for orally or in writing at least 15 days before the commencement of the leave. Study leave lasting more than five days must be applied for in writing at least 45 days before the commencement of the leave.

The employer shall inform his/her decision in writing at least 15 days before the education or studying begins if the study leave is applied for longer time than five days. If the applied study leave is for maximum of five days, the employer shall inform his/her decision in writing at least 7 days before the education or studying begins.

If granting study leave would cause severe inconvenience to employer’s production or service operations, the employer can postpone the beginning of the study leave by six months. If the education in question is held more rarely than every six months, the employer may postpone the study leave until the next education is held. The employer has also the right to postpone the study leave when no longer than six months has passed from the employees last study leave and it is not his/her intention to complete the previous studies. If there are at least five employees working in the employer’s service, the transfer can ebe made only two times in a row.

If granting study leave to all applicants would cause serious inconvenience to the employer’s production or service operations and therefore the leaves cannot be granted, the employer shall priorities those who have applied to vocational education or basic education. If the prioritization cannot be done based on that, the employer shall give the place to an employer who has had the least education. The employer shall, prior to making the decision negotiate on the matter with the employee representatives in accordance with co-operation procedures.

The employee is entitled to adult education support or Social Insurance Institution’s study grants during his/her study leave. Instead, the employer shall not have the obligation to pay employer during the study leave.

It is forbidden to terminate or cancel the employment relationship based on the fact that employee has applied or been on a study leave. The study leave does not prevent the termination, if there is another legitimate ground for the termination, e.g. for financial or production-related reasons.

If the study leave has been granted for longer time than 50 working days, the employee has the right to interrupt his/her studies and return to work. The employee shall inform this in writing at least four weeks before his/her return. The employer has no obligation to take the employee back before the employment contract of the substitute employee terminates. The employee must inform in writing the employee without delay on the resolution of the matter and the time when the employee can return.

During a study leave, an employee’s annual holiday entitlement is accrued at most 30 days during the holiday qualifying year.