Types of Paid and Unpaid Leaves in Finland
In Finland, various types of leave are available to support employees in managing personal and family responsibilities. These leave options, governed by the Employment Contracts Act and the Sickness Insurance Act, provide essential support during significant life events.
How Finnish family leave is paid
Most Finnish family leaves are paid by social security (Kela) rather than by your employer. Your payslip will show these periods as unpaid — the allowance is paid to you separately by Kela. This is normal and does not mean the leave is unpaid.
A note on how days are counted
Kela and the Annual Holidays Act count leave in arkipäivät — a six-day week that includes Saturdays. The Remote People platform records leave in five-day working weeks. The same entitlement therefore shows a smaller number in the platform than on Kela's website.
For example, 40 Kela days of pregnancy leave appears as 34 working days in the platform, and 160 Kela days of parental leave appears as 134 working days. The entitlement is the same — only the counting convention differs.
1. Pregnancy Leave
Duration: 40 Kela days of pregnancy allowance leave (34 working days in the platform), with 30 days to be taken before the expected birth date.
Paid by social security (Kela).
Supporting documentation is required with the request.
2. Parental Leave
Parental leave is designed to support both parents during the early stages of their child's life. The total entitlement consists of 320 Kela days, divided as follows:
Pregnancy Allowance (Birthing Parent): The birthing parent receives 40 days of pregnancy allowance before childbirth.
Parental Leave: Each parent is entitled to 97 days of parental leave. These days are not transferable between the parents, ensuring equal parental participation.
Transferable Parental Leave: In addition, both the birthing parent and the child's other parent have 63 days each of transferable parental leave, which can be assigned to either parent or another designated caregiver.
Paid by social security (Kela). In the platform this appears as 134 working days per parent.
This flexible parental leave system allows parents to plan their time off based on family needs and work arrangements. Find more information on parental leave and salary payments during parental leave on the official website: Kela.fi.
3. Child Care Leave
To help parents care for their young children, Finland offers various child care leave options:
Child Care Leave (Hoitovapaa): Parents can take leave until their child turns 3 years old, with 1 month of leave available in either one or two periods. This leave can be taken on a partial or full-time basis. Unpaid by your employer; a Kela home care allowance may apply.
Partial Child Care Leave: Employees with at least 6 months of seniority during the previous 12 months can take partial child care leave up to the end of the second year when the child is attending basic education, subject to agreement with the employer. Unpaid.
Temporary Child-Care Leave: Parents can take up to 4 working days at a time for temporary child-care leave until the child turns 10 years old. Unpaid.
4. Carer's Leave (Omaishoitovapaa)
Duration: 5 working days per year to provide personal care or support to a relative or someone close to you.
Unpaid. This is a statutory right, but it carries no payment.
No supporting document required.
5. Absence for Compelling Family Reasons
Leave for the unforeseen illness or accident of a family member, so you can manage unexpected family emergencies.
Unpaid. No fixed annual balance — each absence is recorded individually.
6. Study Leave (Opintovapaa)
Leave for study and professional development, subject to the statutory eligibility conditions and agreement with your employer.
Unpaid. No fixed annual balance.
7. Military Service / Reservist Leave
Leave for national service obligations and reservist refresher training.
Unpaid. Supporting documentation is required.
8. Unpaid Leave
Employees can request general unpaid leave, which is subject to the employer's approval.
Annual leave and sick leave are covered in separate articles. If your situation isn't covered above, contact your Remote People HR contact.