1. Make sure the conditions for job alternation leave are met

The condition for job alternation leave ar met, if you

• have been a full-time employee with the same employer for at least 13 months before your leave begins. During these 13 months there can be a maximum of 30 days of unpaid absence or part-time work (working time less than 75 per cent of the maximum working hours).
• have been working for at least 20 years before your leave begins. Only work carried out in Finland or in other EU or ETA contries are taken into account.
• have been a member of a unemployment fund for at least 26 weeks (6 months) before your leave begins. If you have not been a member of a fund that long, you can claim job alternation compensation from Kela (but it will be less than what the fund pays).

If you are not sure that you have been working within EU contries for at least 20 years, you can ask the fund to check how much work history you have accumulated so far.

2. Make an agreement with you employer

Job alternation is voluntary. Your employer may refuse to grant you job alternation leave.

If your employer agrees with you and grants you a job alternation leave, you must make an agreement in writing. You can find a form for this (in finnish) on the website of The Federation of Unemployment Funds in Finland. The form is called Vuorotteluvapaasopimus. 

3. Inform TE Office of your job alternation leave

Before your job alternation leave begins, your employer must send the job alternation agreement to TE Office  along with a reliable account (such as an employment contract) of the hiring of an unemployed person for the duration of your leave.

You must send the TE Office a separate record, provided by your employer, of any unpaid absence during the 13 months preceding your leave (such as a pay certificate for the 13 months, or some other record provided by your employer).

You can find information about TE Office here. 

4. Send a application for job alternation compentation to the fund via WebKassa

You can claim job alternation compentation from the fund when your leave is begining. Send your application after your last salary has been paid.

Fill in the application form via WebKassa on-line-service and attach the necessary documents (pdf).

Attach to your application the following documents

• a copy of the agreement that you made with your employer (vuorottelusopimus)
• a salary statement (palkkatodistus) for at least 52 weeks (12 months).  The statement must be written for full pay periods prior to your leave. If you have had unpaid absences or done part-time work (working time less than 75 per cent of the maximum working hours) during the 13 months prior to your leave, these periods must be mentioned in the statement.
• a statement of any salary, business income and /or social benefits that you get during your job alternation leave

5. The fund will send you a decision, when your claim has been processed

Your application for job alternation compentation can be processed when all the necessary documents have arrived to the fund and at least on week has passed from the day your leave began. All application are processed in the order they arrived to the fund.

When your claim has been processed, the fund will send you a decision on the basis of payment and a payment notice.  You do not need to submit follow-up claims for job alternation compensation. After the first payment the compensation will be paid in installments of four weeks, with the payment date always being the Thursday of the week following the end of the periot.

6. Inform the fund of changes

If there are changes in your situation during the alternation leave (eg you fall ill or go to work for your own or another employer), report them to the unemployment fund as soon as possible.