Employee unemployment security

UNEMPLOYMENT FUND IS YOUR SAFETY NET FOR A BAD DAY

KOKOs membership acts as insurance for you in the event of unemployment. Once you have completed the employment requirement, the fund will pay unemployment benefits to members who become unemployed.
 

AS A MEMBER, DO I AUTOMATICALLY BELONG TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT FUND?

In general, you will become a member of the unemployment fund when you join the Professionals of Business and Technology Union.

You can also apply for membership of the fund later during your membership. For example, if you were not employed at the time of joining or were a member of another unemployment fund, and therefore did not immediately join KOKO The Unemployment as a member of the Professionals of Business and Technology.

You can check the status of your membership in our online service >>

If you are a member of the fund through theProfessionals of Business and Technology, the "KOKO-fund" and the date on which you joined the fund will appear in the "Membership information" section in addition to your membership type. You can also join the fund as a member in the online service if you are not yet a member of KOKO Unemployment Fund.

Student Unemployment Security

Black-level student membership includes unemployment security. If you are a Black-level student member, you are already a member of the unemployment fund KOKO and have possibly accumulated the employment requirement. Working students should always choose the Black level, as work done during studies and summer work accumulate the employment requirement. This means that there is a possibility of a better income level in the event of unemployment after graduation.

If you are a Gold or Silver level member, you can join the Black level now if you have a valid employment contract. Graduates should update their membership to the Professionals of Business and Technology Union full membership!

Also see the employment condition for earnings-related unemployment benefits below. 

You can check the status of your membership in our online service >>

If you have any questions about unemployment benefits, you can always contact our unemployment benefit advice.

Unemployment security counseling:
Mon-Thu klo 9-16, Fri 10-16
unemployment@tradenomi.fi
tel. 020 155 8800

Employment condition is a requirement for receiving unemployment benefits

The employment condition refers to criteria for receiving earnings-related unemployment allowance. Fulfilling the employment condition requires that you have been working for at least 12 months prior to becoming unemployed.

You do not need to accumulate the whole 12-month employment condition in consecutive months. The employment condition can also be accumulated in shorter periods and in part-time jobs – for example during studies or summer jobs.

The employment condition is accumulated either in whole or half months. It is accrued for the month in which the salary is paid.

• A  whole month is accumulated, if you have been paid at least 930 euros in a calendar month.
• A half month is accumulated, if you have been paid at least 465 euros, but less than 930 euros in a calendar month. Two half months equals one whole month.

The salary must be determined according to the applicable collective agreement or, if no collective agreement applies, the full-time pay must be a minimum of 1339 euros/month (in 2024).

The unemployment fund pays its members earnings-related unemployment benefits during unemployment. The daily allowance amount is determined on the basis of the member's earnings during the accumulation of the employment condition. The conditions for accumulating unemployment benefit rights and the amount of the daily allowance are determined by law, so there are no differences in the conditions or amounts of unemployment benefits paid by different unemployment funds.

More information on the conditions for accumulating the employment condition >>

Who is entitled to unemployment benefits?

Unemployment benefits can be paid to the fully unemployed, completely or partially laid off, and those working part-time with working hours of up to 80% of the working hours of full-time employment in the field (usually up to 30 hours). Part-time workers are paid adjusted daily allowance, i.e. the earnings from work are then taken into account as earnings that reduce the full daily allowance.

Unemployment benefits cannot generally be received while studies are in progress, but the day-rate applicant must have already graduated. The financial support for full-time students comes from the student support system. Employees on leave from work can receive adult education support paid by the Employment Fund.

The right to receive unemployment allowance is subject to fulfilling the employment condition, which is examined from the period preceding the unemployment/layoff/part-time work. If the employment relationship immediately preceding unemployment has not lasted for at least 12 months continuously, the required amount of working months (or half months)  can be taken into account within a 28-month review period preceding unemployment. The review period may be longer if there has been a valid reason for absence from the labour market (parental leave, full-time studies, military service/civil service, career break, etc.)

If the employment condition has not yet been met during unemployment fund, unemployment allowance must be applied for from Kela.

More info >>>

The amount of unemployment benefit

The amount of earnings-related unemployment allowance is calculated based on the accrued salary from the 12 months that meet the employment condition. In addition to normal monthly or hourly wages, the accrued salary includes, for example, fringe benefits, shift allowances, bonuses, and commission. You can find a more detailed definition of accrued salary here.

You can use the unemployment benefit calculator to estimate the approximate amount of your unemployment benefit. Go to the unemployment benefit calculator.

When using the calculator, keep in mind that the tax rate on earned income is at least 25%, so the tax rate is increased if the tax rate on earned income has been lower than this. When using the change tax card issued for the taxation of social benefits, the withholding tax is made according to the tax rate of the change tax card.

What to do if you become unemployed

1. Register as an unemployed job seeker at the TE Services

In order to receive unemployment benefits, you must also be an unemployed job seeker at the TE Services. If you become unemployed, laid off, or start part-time work that qualifies you for adjusted daily allowance, register as an unemployed job seeker at the TE Services website no later than your first day of unemployment or the start of part-time work. Benefits can only be paid for the period during which the job search has been active. The job search cannot be started retroactively. Register as an unemployed job seeker at the Työmarkkinatori website.

The TE Services´s task is to assess whether the conditions for receiving unemployment benefits have been met, such as whether your employment relationship has ended and that you are not, for example, employed full-time in your own business or studying full-time. The TE Services will request further information from you if you are involved in business activities or unfinished studies before issuing a statement to the unemployment fund on your right to unemployment benefits.

2. Apply for unemployment benefits from the KOKO unemployment fund

Members apply for unemployment benefits from the KOKO unemployment fund if they have met the employment condition during their membership. When you register as an unemployed job seeker at the TE Services, state that the benefits will be paid by the KOKO unemployment fund so that the employment policy statement related to your unemployment benefit case can be given to the right place at the TE Services.

The KOKO unemployment fund cannot pay unemployment benefits before receiving a statement from the TE Services. If the processing of your case at the TE Services is delayed for any reason (for example, due to clarifications of the situation of business activities or studies), it is still a good idea to submit the unemployment benefit applications in accordance with the normal application periods to the KOKO unemployment fund, where they will be waiting for the TE Services´s statement.

Unemployment benefit applications must be submitted to the unemployment fund within three months of the date from which the benefits are applied for. Unemployment benefit applications and their attachments can be submitted to the KOKO unemployment fund electronically.

Learn more KOKO unemployment fund e-services>>

If you have not met the employment condition during your membership of the unemployment fund or are not a member of the fund, apply for unemployment benefits from Kela. In this case, notify the TE Services that your benefits will be paid by Kela and follow the instructions above with Kela.

Unemployment benefits are always applied for retroactively for days already spent unemployed. The normal application period is a calendar month or a four-week period. You can, if you wish, submit your first unemployment benefit application after two weeks of unemployment so that the unemployment benefit case can be processed as quickly as possible.

At the beginning of the unemployment period, there is a seven-day waiting period. If you submit your first application after two weeks of unemployment, please note that the first application period may not have many payable benefit days left.

If you are partially laid off and work a reduced working day or week, the length of the first application period may depend on factors such as the payroll period. You can ask the KOKO unemployment fund for more detailed instructions on the application periods for benefits and filling out applications.

The first unemployment allowance application must be accompanied by attachments on the basis of which the unemployment fund can confirm that the employment condition has been met and determine the amount of the payable allowance. Wage information is required for the 12 months during which the employment condition was accumulated. This information is usually obtained from the income register, but the unemployment fund requests additional information from the applicant if necessary.

Additional instructions for applying for unemployment benefits

more detailed instructions on other attachments that must be submitted with the first unemployment benefit application

Information on the processing times of unemployment benefit applications

Instructions for the KOKO unemployment fund for the unemployed

Instructions for the KOKO unemployment fund for the laid-off

Instructions for the KOKO unemployment fund for those working part-time