Finland: new law on working time set to come into force

On 5 July, the Finnish president enacted a new law on working time, which had been passed by the country’s parliament in March but was delayed to the change in the majority in the house. The law was put together by a taskforce that was set up in June 2016 by the Finnish economic affairs and employment minister, bringing together the administration, employers and trade unions. It aims to modernise Finnish legislation, by implementing certain elements of European regulation, and to adapt the legal framework to how working methods and arrangements are evolving. The most innovative elements of the law seek in practice to foster working hour flexibility in companies as well as a superior work-life balance for workers.
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The new law on working time provides tools that allow employees to choose when and where they work, provided the needs of their employer are met. This flexibility is fostered by allowing collective agreements on working hours to be negotiated outside of branch agreements. On an individual level, a company and an employee may agree on flexible working hours if the latter’s tasks are conducive to them deciding independently how to divide up at least half of their total working hours, as well as d

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