Annual holidays

The current Annual Holidays Act causes problems, especially when changing jobs. An employee accrues only two days of holiday per month during the first year instead of 2.5 days. In addition, many people do not even get unpaid holiday for their new job. No longer counting Saturdays as weekdays would make life easier for both the employee and payroll.

The Annual Holidays Act is outdated and needs to be changed so that it can support the well-being of employees. People change jobs several times during their career – at their own initiative, at the end of a fixed-term employment relationship or due to the employer’s decision. In a new workplace, the accrual of holiday starts from zero, and it’s possible to take few or no holidays at all. Taking the time spent studying into account, a decade or more may pass by without a longer holiday.  

In the current situation, accrual of annual holiday is not equal; the accrual is smaller at the start of the employment relationship. Maintaining a work-life balance becomes more difficult when there is not enough annual leave. The opportunity to disconnect from work during holidays promotes recovery and coping. In order to make maintaining a work-life balance easier and to better take into account the needs of recovery from work, attention should be paid to the amount of holiday. 

Our research shows that the majority of our members have not received negotiated unpaid leave when they have changed jobs. These matters must be recorded in the law. Without it, employees are always in a weaker position than the employer when making a contract.

The new generations are challenging traditional ways of thinking about work. Work is seen as an enabler of leisure time, and people want to take care of their own well-being and coping. They also want flexibility their work to take care of children or ageing parents, for example.

• Building a bridge between the old and new workplace by changing the annual holiday accrual period to be 2.5 days from the start of the employment relationship. 
• Everyone can have five weeks of holiday even if their job changes. If five weeks of holiday are not accrued for the holiday period, the remaining holiday can be taken unpaid.
• No longer counting Saturdays as weekdays in a cost-neutral manner. 
• Enabling the right to three weeks of unpaid leave in addition to annual leave.