Unemployment fund and trade union memberships complement each other. Whereas the unemployment fund ensures a livelihood in challenging times, the trade union can help you move forward in your career in many different situations.

1. Earnings-related benefits

The members of Professionals of Business and Technology are insured with the unemployment fund KOKO. The fund helps especially in matters related to unemployment. In practice, membership of the fund is an unemployment insurance that can cover your own situation in the event of unemployment or layoff. The KOKO fund pays earnings-adjusted unemployment allowance to unemployed and laid-off members, change allowance to dismissed older members and mobility allowance to unemployed members who take on a job from another location. The unemployment fund pays the benefits on an earnings-related basis, i.e. the benefits are usually higher than the benefits paid by Kela.

The KOKO fund serves persons with a higher education, senior salaried employees, salaried employees, supervisors and those working in expert positions. When the special characteristics of the customer base are known in advance, it is easy to provide the members with a high level of service.

2. The fund helps in case of unemployment or layoff

If unemployment or layoffs are approaching, it is a good idea to contact the fund at a low threshold. Before applying for benefits, you must register as an unemployed jobseeker on the website of TE Office no later than on the first day of unemployment.

The majority of the members of KOKO apply for the benefit using electronic service channels. Daily allowance is always applied for retrospectively, i.e. the first application for daily allowance can be submitted when you have been unemployed or laid off for more than two weeks. The application process for change security funds, on the other hand, must be carried out at a faster pace, and the benefit can be applied for even during the period of notice.

Previously, it has been sufficient to have worked and belonged to an unemployment fund for six months in order to receive benefits. The deadline will be increased to 12 months from this fall.  Students can also belong to the unemployment fund and accumulate the condition of employment and membership time during their studies. Membership of the fund is helpful if the first actual job is not found immediately upon graduation.

3. The membership fee of Professionals of Business and Technology includes earnings-related unemployment benefit and support for job search

Professionals of Business and Technology offers its members diverse support in different life situations, including when faced with unemployment or layoffs. Membership in the union works like insurance: it includes unemployment security and several diverse unemployment and career services. As a new service that supports employment, Professionals of Business and Technology has started cooperation with Inhunt Group, Finland’s largest headhunting agency. They have tailored their own database for the members of the union, which headhunting consultants use in their recruitment.

In addition, Professionals of Business and Technology offers help with, among other things, creating a CV or LinkedIn profile, sparring for job interviews, the opportunity to participate in peer support groups and the highly acclaimed Succeed ín a job search online course for succeeding in the job search. Jobs for Bachelors of Business Administration can also be found on the union's website.

What to do if you become unemployed or laid off

1. Register as a jobseeker at the TE Office.

Registration is done electronically on the websites of TE Offices. Registration must be done no later than on the first day of layoff or unemployment.

2. Apply for unemployment allowance from the KOKO fund.

To receive the earnings-adjusted unemployment allowance paid by the unemployment fund, you must have been a member for at least 12 months and accumulated the 12-month employment condition. If you have not met this condition during your membership, you must apply for unemployment allowance from Kela.

3. Take advantage of the benefits of Professionals of Business and Technology.

Professionals of Business and Technology offers free career and job search services and membership fee discounts for unemployed and laid-off members.

The experts are Outi Mäki, Fund Director of The Unemployment Fund for Highly Educated KOKO, and Sari Niemi, CEO of Professionals of Business and Technology.

Text: Pi Mäkilä. Translation: Delingua.