Public Holidays in Finland for 2019
Finland is the 7th largest country in Europe, and it is famous for Santa Claus’ residence. Finland passes the Arctic Circle.
Finland celebrates 12 national holidays, and its parliament has established the national holidays. The list of official holidays is released every year.
When it comes to following the parliament, there is no work on Saturdays and Sundays. In Finland, Sundays are considered as holidays because they have a special consistent meaning with the liturgical calendar.
The official holidays could be categorized into non-Christian and Christian holidays. The Finnish holiday celebrations stay on the same date they occur. In case it falls on a Sunday, it could be moved to the next day. In most cases, only Easter can be moved. A lot of banks and government offices will be closed early when the eve of an important holiday comes.
Know more about these holidays now.
What Employers Must Know About Finland Public Holidays
In each month of a full-time worker, their annual leave must be at least two days. The summer holidays are the typical time for them to take leave, and it starts by the end of June. It is when Finns are celebrating Midsummer holidays. You must not plan business meetings during holiday periods that last from mid-June to mid-August.
Finns commonly take a week off during holidays in wintertime, which is either Christmas time or early spring when children are already in their winter holidays. This way, people can have a right work-life balance, and get to enjoy time with their families before working again.
As an employer, you must also respect the work-life balance of the Finnish culture to avoid getting in trouble with the government.
Dates of the Finland Public Holiday 2019
| Date | Day/s | Holiday | Type |
| 1 January | Tuesday | New Year’s Day | National |
| 6 January | Monday | Epiphany | National |
| 14 February | Friday | Valentine’s Day | Observance |
| 20 March | Wednesday | March Equinox | Season |
| 19 April | Friday | Good Friday | National holiday |
| 21 April | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Observance |
| 22 April | Monday | Easter Monday | National |
| 1 May | Wednesday | May Day | National |
| 12 May | Sunday | Mother’s Day | Observance |
| 30 May | Thursday | Ascension Day | National |
| 9 June | Sunday | Whit Sunday | Observance |
| 19 June | Friday | Midsummer Eve | De facto and Bank holiday |
| 21 June | Friday | June Solstice | Season |
| 22 June | Saturday | Midsummer | National |
| 23 September | Monday | September Equinox | Season |
| 2 November | Saturday | All Saints’ Day | National |
| 10 November | Sunday | Father’s Day | Observance |
| 6 December | Friday | Independence Day | National |
| 22 December | Sunday | December Solstice | Season |
| 24 December | Tuesday | Christmas Eve | De facto and Bank holiday |
| 25 December | Wednesday | Christmas Day | National |
| 26 December | Thursday | Boxing Day | National |
| 31 December | Tuesday | New Year’s Eve | Observance |
Employee Benefits During Public Holidays
Based on the general rule when it comes to holiday pay, the employee may receive his or her regular average salary. There are no available fringe benefits to employees over the holidays, which are paid as monetary compensation. The calculation system of holiday pay will depend on how employees are paid.
- Employees have a 14-day rule to receive regular pay during the period of a yearly holiday.
- Employees who are under a 35-hour control with a contract that states they must work at least 35 hours a week only in specific months have a percentage calculation based on the holiday pay of employees they pay per hour based on the 35-hour rule.
- The holiday pays for the employees whose compensation is agreed monthly and with a working time that changed because of the holiday will receive a percentage based on what he or she earned in the holiday credit year.
The holiday payment received by an employee according to this or her earnings for the regular working hours. Overtime and the emergency working time hours are not counted when holiday pay is calculated unless there is paid compensation for work like in the monthly payments. Aside from the monthly payment, the employee must also receive other pay regularly. The current month will be less considered when it comes to calculating their holiday pay based on the average daily wage.
Doing Business in Finland
Finland has a first-class business environment with an established corporate entity that is fast and easy. Also, the functional infrastructure of the country, communication networks, and modern logistics make running a business hassle-free, profitable, and efficient.
Now that you know the most important reasons why setting up a business in Finland is right, you can invest already.
