Change security for employers

For employment terminations, the objective of change security is to speed up and facilitate the terminated employee's access to a new job.

The change security operating model includes

• more effective provision of information by the employer
• an action plan that promotes employment made by the employer together with its employees
• an employment plan for the terminated employee, which is drawn up at the TE Office
• paid leave for terminated employees to look for a new job
• training for terminated employees, either during the period of notice or in the early stages of unemployment, with the employer either organising the training of contributing towards the costs
• occupational health services for terminated employees lasting for six months after the employee's work duties have come to an end.

Employer obligations

Notification to the TE Office of the start of cooperation negotiations

If you are an employer within the scope of the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings, you must notify your TE Office of your cooperation negotiations. This notification must be made no later than the beginning of the procedure. Notice must be given of the negotiations if they could lead to lay-offs or redundancies, regardless of the number of persons affected by the negotiations.

The notification is free-form, but it must be submitted in writing. You can submit the notification to the change security expert for your area. The information can be found in the links on this page.

When the number of terminated employees is 10 or more

An action plan to promote employment must be drawn up in cooperation with the personnel. This must be prepared when the cooperation procedure begins.

The action plan must include

• the intended timetable for the cooperation negotiations
• the procedures to be followed in the negotiations
• the plans for principles to be observed during the period of notice in the use of TE Services
• the principles to be applied in helping the affected personnel to find new employment or training

Notify the TE Office of any employment terminations if they apply to 10 or more employees. Provide the TE Office with details of the number of terminations due to occur, the profession or work duties of the employees, and the date of the terminations. Also inform the employees that they are entitled to an employment plan.

You can submit a notification using the form ‘Employer's notification to the TE Office’. Send the completed form to the TE Office by logging in with your Suomi.fi e-Identification to the Enterprise and Employer E-Services and selecting Contacts and Documents on the front page of the service.

When there are fewer than ten terminated employees

The cooperation procedure must include operating principles that support applying for other work, training, and TE services during the period of notice.

Coaching or training paid for by the employer

If you employ at least 30 people on a regular basis, any terminated employees who have been working for you for five years or more must be given the opportunity to participate in employment-promoting coaching or training which is paid for by the employer. This training must be made available either during the notice period or at the beginning of unemployment.  

• You can also agree with the employee that you will pay for the training or coaching that they themselves acquire.  
• The principles governing the organisation of training or coaching are recorded in the personnel training plan.
• If you fail to comply with the obligation to provide training or training, you are required to pay the employee a lump sum equivalent to the value of the coaching or training.

Occupational health care provided by the employer

The employer has an obligation to arrange occupational health care for terminated employees that extends for six months after the employee's work duties have ended. For this period, the employer will receive a reimbursement under the Health Insurance Act.

This obligation applies to employers who regularly employ 30 or more employees. In addition, the employee's employment relationship must have lasted for at least 5 years.

Ask for advice from TE Services

We will provide help for employers and employees concerning change security.

• The telephone service for personal customers gives advice on matters related to change security.
• There are designated change security experts at TE Offices who are responsible for TE Services in change security situations.