COLLECTIVE LABOUR AGREEMENT for the Facilities Services Sector 1 March 2023 – 31 March 2025

This in an English translation of the original Finnish collective agreement. The contractual parties to the collective agreement are not bound by the English translation. If the English translation allows for a different interpretation than the original Finnish wording, the Finnish wording shall prevail. The contractual parties to the collective agreement are not responsible for any damage resulting from possible errors in the translation.

Tämä on käännös suomenkielisestä työehtosopimuksesta. Työehtosopimuksen sopijaosapuolet eivät ole sopineet englanninkielisestä työehtosopimustekstistä. Mikäli englanninkielisen käännöksen tulkinta johtaa erilaiseen lopputulokseen kuin alkuperäinen suomenkielinen työehtosopimus, tulee noudattaa suomenkielistä työehtosopimusta. Työehtosopimuksen sopijapuolet eivät vastaa käännöksen mahdollisista virheellisyyksistä aiheutuvista vahingoista.

REAL ESTATE EMPLOYERS SERVICE UNION UNITED PAM

I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1 Scope

This collective agreement on terms of employment shall apply to workers employed in the facilities services sector.

Entry on record

Working tasks are

• cleaning
• property maintenance
• technical services
• facility services
• landscaping services

and tasks closely related to these.

Section 2 Central organisation agreements

The Co-operation Agreement PT–SAK 3 December 1997 (10 May 2001) shall be adhered to as part of this collective agreement.

If the central organisations conclude a new agreement during the period of this agreement, it shall be taken as part of this agreement if the parties thus agree separately.

Section 3 Training agreement

As part of the collective agreement, the training agreement between the Real Estate Employers and Service Union United PAM (Attachment 4) shall be adhered to.

II EMPLOYMENT

Section 4 Supervision of work

The employer shall supervise and distribute work, and hire and discharge employees.

Section 5 Right to organise

The right to organise is inviolable on both sides.

The employer informs a new employee about the organisation and negotiation relations in the branch and who is the shop steward and the safety representative at the workplace and gives their contact data.

Section 6 Employment contract and trial period

On request of either party the employment contract shall be made in writing. In accordance with the Employment Contracts Act, Chapter 2, Section 4, the employee shall be given a written explanation of the principal conditions of his employment if they are not apparent from the written employment contract.

The employer and employee may agree on the trial period. The trial period shall not exceed six months, unless otherwise provided by the Employment Contracts Act. In a fixed-term employment relationship, the trial period together with any extensions to it may comprise no more than half of the duration of the employment contract, and in any event may not exceed six months.

The trial period may be extended in cases of disability or parental leave in accordance with the Finnish Employment Contracts Act.

Section 7 Termination of employment

1. Period of notice

When employment is terminated the provisions of the Employment Contracts Act shall be observed.

The period of notice when the employer gives notice of termination shall be:

The period of notice when the employee gives notice of termination shall be:

The period of notice begins with the next day after notice is given. When the period of notice is calculated in months, the term of employment shall end on the same numerical day of the month as the day notice was given. If the equivalent day does not exist in the month in question, the term of employment shall end on the last day of the month.

2. Fixed term contract

When an employee terminates his employment before the fixed term contract expires, he pays as a compensation salary for two weeks, or when the not fulfilled period is shorter, an amount equivalent with the period.

3. Lay-off notice period

An employee can be laid off in accordance with the Employment Contracts Act. By local agreement, the lay-off notice period can be shortened to 7 days.

4. Negotiation proposal period in accordance with the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings

If an employer lays off employees, the 5-day negotiation proposal period is included in the total negotiating period.

III WORKING TIME

Section 8 Working time

With respect to working time, the regulations of the Working Time Act shall be complied with, unless otherwise provided in this collective agreement.

1. Regular working hours

Weekly working hours

Regular working hours shall not exceed 7.5 hours a day and 37.5 hours a week or 8 hours
a day and 40 hours a week. If the working hours are 40 hours a week, the stipulations in the minutes on the reduction of annual working hours shall apply (Attachment 2).

Average weekly working hours

The working hours during a one week period shall not exceed 9 hours a day and 37.5 or
40 hours a week.

When average weekly working hours are used, the working hours may be arranged by adjusting them to an average of a maximum of 37.5 or 40 hours a week. The adjustment period shall be a maximum of 8 weeks. Regular working time may not exceed 9 hours a day or 45 hours a week without the employee’s consent.

The adjustment period on the basis of a local agreement made under Section 18 of this collective agreement may be no longer than 26 weeks. In this case regular working time may not exceed 10 hours a day nor 50 hours a week without the employee’s consent.

Period-based work

Working hours can be arranged as period-based work in accordance with Section 7 of the Working Time Act.

Moreover, working hours can be arranged as period-based work in accordance with the Working Time Act in the following sectors:

1. in police, customs, post, telecommunication and radio services, but not in their machine or repair shops or in construction work;
2. at hospitals, health centres, 24-hour day-care centres, summer colonies, welfare and other such institutions and in prisons;
3. in passenger and goods transport, on canals, swing bridges and ferryboats;;
4. in household work and in family-based daycare within the meaning of the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018);
5. in dairies;
6. at accommodation and catering establishments; and
7. at cultural and recreational establishments and at film studios and film inspection offices, excluding their workshops.

In cases not listed above, working hours may be arranged as period-based work by local agreement in accordance with Section 18 of the collective agreement. A local agreement providing for period-based work shall be valid during the period of validity of a customer agreement applying to the place of business, and it may in exceptional circumstances be terminated under Section 18 of this agreement after two years of validity.

Regular working time in period-based work is maximum 112.5 or 120 hours in three weeks or maximum 75 or 80 hours in two weeks. Where the working time is 120 or 80 hours, the stipulations in the minutes on the reduction of annual working hours shall apply (Attachment 2).

Shift work

Regular working hours may be arranged as shift work.

The effects of a changeover to shift work must also be discussed two weeks prior to the changeover at the latest in companies that are not required to apply the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings, unless otherwise agreed upon locally.

The employees shall be notified of a changeover to shift work at the latest two weeks before shift work begins, unless otherwise agreed upon locally.

2. Working week and working day

The working week shall be a maximum of five days. When an adjustment period is used the weeks to be on average a maximum of five days.

The employer and employee may agree on a six-day working week for reasons related to work arrangements.

The working week and working day shall begin on Monday at 00:00 unless otherwise agreed. If the beginning of the working day is otherwise agreed, then the compensation for Sunday work shall nevertheless be paid for hours worked during Sunday (12 am to 12 am).

3. Work schedule and working hours adjustment system

Impractically short shifts should be avoided. Shifts of less than four hours should not be used in the workplace, unless required by a justifiable reason or the needs of the employee.

The work schedule shall be drawn up for at least one week at a time and employees shall be given at least one week’s notice before it becomes operative.

If an adjustment system is used, the employer shall draw up in advance the working hours adjustment system, during whose use working time shall be equalised to a maximum average of 37.5 or 40 hours. Each week’s working time is to appear in the adjustment system and workers are to be notified of it at least one week before it becomes operative.

When period-based work is used, the work schedule is to be drawn up for the period being used and workers are to be notified of it at least one week before it becomes operative.

Exceptions to the above-mentioned hours may be made by local agreement under Section 18 of this collective agreement.

Absence does not change a free time schedule drawn up in advance.

Changes to the work schedule

The employer and employee may agree on changes to the work schedule.

The employer may unilaterally change the work schedule for weighty reason related to the organisation of the work, in which case the change shall affect a date that is at least five days in the future.

The employer may if needed change the working hours adjustment system with respect to a time for which the work schedule has not yet been drawn up.

Employees shall be notified without delay when changes are made.

4. Daily rest periods

If the employee’s continuous daily working time is longer than six hours, he is to be given during his working day a regular rest period lasting at least half an hour. The employee and the employer may agree on shortening or eliminating the rest period. The rest period is not counted as working time if the worker may without hindrance absent himself from the workplace.

The employee has the right to one rest period when working time exceeds 4 hours and two rest periods when working time exceeds 6 hours. The breaks are to be taken at the most appropriate times from the point of view of the work.

5. Daily rest period

The employee shall be given a period of 11 hours’ unbroken rest in the 24 hours from the start of each work shift, unless work done on an on-call or standby basis is involved or unless otherwise provided in the Act on Working Hours. The daily rest period may be temporarily shortened or exceptions may be made to it in accordance with Act on Working Hours, Section 29.

The daily rest period may be shortened according to local agreement under Section 18 of this agreement. The daily rest period should however be a minimum of 7 hours.

6. Weekly free time

Working time shall be arranged so that the employee once a week has an uninterrupted rest period of at least 35 hours which is if possible in connection with a Sunday. This weekly free time may be arranged through a system of averages, and exceptions to it may be made in accordance with Act on Working Hours.

7. Night work

Work may be caused to be done as night work referred to in the Act on Working Hours, if the nature of the work requires it. Night work is work that is done between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

8. Sunday work

In accordance with Section 20, Act on Working Hours, work on Sunday or on a religious holiday is compensated by an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay.

9. Additional work and overtime

Compensation

The remuneration for additional work and overtime is defined according to Chapter 10 Section 1 of this collective agreement.

Additional work

Additional work is work done on the employer’s initiative in addition to the agreed working hours, up to a maximum of 40 hours a week. If an adjustment system is used, additional work is work done in addition to the agreed working hours, up to an average of 40 hours a week.

Overtime

Overtime is work that exceeds 40 hours a week. When an adjustment system is used, overtime is work that exceeds an average of 40 hours a week.

Maximum working time

The adjustment period for maximum working time under Section 18 of the Working Time Act is 12 months.

Consent for additional and overtime work

The employee’s consent for additional overtime work is stipulated under the Working Time Act, Section 17.

Separate consent is required for each instance when an employee is required to work more than 8 hours in a day or more than the 8 hours entered on a work schedule.

10. On-call duty

On-call duty agreement

In this provision on-call duty means stand-by in accordance with the Working Hours Act.
A permanent on-call duty agreement or fixed-term on-call duty agreement that lasts over two months must be made in writing and should contain, for example, the following:

• whether on-call duty is arranged on an hourly or weekly basis
• duration of on-call duty
• definition of the area where the employee is to be while on call
• time for arrival at work in case of an alert
• tasks that constitute on-call work, working time to be spent on them and compensation to be paid for them
• remuneration for on-call duty
• term of notice

A model agreement for on-call duty is attached to this collective agreement (Attachment 7).

During the on-call hours the employee is obligated to come to work if needed. During on-call duty, tasks that are part of on-call work are done, as well as tasks of the type that cannot be safely shifted to being performed later during regular working time.

Work done during on-call hours is compensated according to this collective agreement.

On-call hours are not considered as working hours.

On-call compensation

A condition of payment of on-call compensation is that the employer and employee have agreed in advance on the on-call duty.

On-call compensation shall be paid at a minimum of 126.32 € / week.

Hourly on-call duty shall be paid at 1.44 € / hour. On-call compensation is not paid for time spent performing work.

11. Days off

The following are days off, unless otherwise required for continuous supply of services:

• the Saturday of the week of New Year’s Day
• the Saturday of the week of Epiphany
• Easter Saturday
• the Saturday of the week of May 1
• the Saturday of the week of Ascension Day
• the Saturday of the week of Independence Day

Work done on the days off listed above shall be compensated as set forth in Section 10 subsection 6 of this agreement.

12. Combinations of days off

Within a calendar year, the employee shall have at least 14 Saturday-Sunday combinations of days off, unless otherwise agreed with the employee or unless there is a justified reason to deviate from this rule. The combinations of days off do not apply to employees who mainly only work weekends. Days off that land on the annual holiday are counted towards the employee’s quota of combinations of days off. Where the employee has not worked for a full year, combinations of days off are given in proportion to the time worked.

13. Time assigned for training, orientation and meetings

In addition to regular annual working hours, the employer may assign the employee a maximum of 8 hours per calendar year of training, orientation and meeting time necessary for the employee’s performance. These hours shall be compensated at the rate for regular working hours, including possible working time supplements and Sunday work compensation.

The above training, orientation or meetings may be organised so that the employee’s shift is extended by the duration of the training, orientation or meeting, however, no more than two hours a day. The above training, orientation or meeting may also last a full day. The above training, orientation or meetings may not be held on a midweek holiday, unless otherwise agreed. The provisions of the training agreement between the associations shall apply to other types of training.

14. Orientation

The person whose duty it is to orientate new employees, work-based learners or trainees or to supervise competence-based qualifications exams shall be designated in advance and competent. The person shall be given sufficient time to perform these duties.

15. Establishment of a part-time employee’s working hours

A part-time employee within the meaning of this provision is considered to be an employee other than one comprised by Section 11 of Chapter 1 of the Employment Contracts Act who works less than 37.5 hours a week.

The employer and the part-time employee shall review at least at 12-month intervals whether actual working hours correlate with the working hours required in the employment contract.

If the review demonstrates that working hours are higher than the hours agreed, the employee can ask the employer to change the hours to correspond to the actual working hours. The employer must give a reasoned response to the employee’s request.

IV COMPENSATION

Section 9 Payment regulations

1. Determination of wages

The employee shall be paid a monthly salary or hourly wages.

The employee’s wage is determined on the basis of the collective agreement’s payroll system (Attachment 1).

If work other than that falling within the scope of the above-mentioned payroll system is done in an enterprise in the facilities services sector, the wage to be paid each time for different tasks is to be agreed separately between employer and employee, unless otherwise agreed between the labour market organisations.

Alternatively, the small companies model (Attachment 10) may be applied when the relevant conditions are met.

2. Average hourly earnings

Average hourly earnings are calculated by quarter such that the salary for work done during that time, not counting increases for additional work, overtime and Sunday work, or compensation for on-call shifts, is divided by the number of hours of work done during that quarter.

3. Hourly and daily wage divisors

The daily wage is calculated by dividing the monthly salary by the number 21.5.

The hourly wage is calculated by dividing the monthly salary by the number 161.

If the working hours are less than 37.5 hours a week, the above mentioned divisors are reduced in proportion to the working time.

4. Salary for a partial month

The salary for a partial month is calculated by:

• multiplying the daily salary by the number of days for which the employee is entitled to a salary, if there are fewer than 13 of them
• reducing the monthly salary by the salary for the number of days the employee was absent, if the number of days for which the employee is entitled to a salary is at least 13.

5. Payment of salary

Salary is paid into the bank account designated by the employee on the salary payment days observed by the enterprise.

On termination of the employment relationship, the final salary payment shall be payable on the 10th calendar day after the end of the employment relationship if the employee has provided all details necessary for making the payment. The employer and shop steward may agree locally on a different date for the final salary payment in accordance with Section 18 of the collective agreement. Upon termination of the employment relationship, payment of final salary may be agreed differently with the employee in accordance with section 18 of the collective agreement.

6. Compensation for midweek holidays

• The following are paid midweek holidays:
• New Year’s Day
• Epiphany
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• May Day (May 1)
• Ascension Thursday
• Midsummer Eve
• Independence Day (December 6)
• Christmas Eve (December 24)
• Christmas Day (December 25)
• Boxing Day (December 26)

Conditions of compensation

Monthly salaried workers are not paid special compensation over their monthly salary for midweek holidays.

An hourly paid worker has the right to compensation for midweek holidays when the employment has lasted at least three months before the midweek holiday in question and the midweek holiday would have been a working day on his working schedule, when he would have been entitled to be paid for working. In the case of Independence Day the requirement for prior duration of employment is six working days.

An employee on sick leave or an employee who is absent because of a child’s illness is paid compensation for a midweek holiday if the holiday would have been a working day for the employee and the employer would have had an obligation to pay the employee sick pay for the day in question if there had not been a midweek holiday.

An employee who is laid off for business and productivity reasons has the right to compensation for a midweek holiday if the holiday would have been a working day for him and if the layoff has lasted a maximum of two weeks before the midweek holiday in question.

If an employee is working on an above-mentioned midweek holiday, he shall be paid a 100% increased salary for work done on a holiday and Christmas and Midsummer Eve. Separate midweek holiday compensation shall not be paid for the hours worked at that time.

Amount of compensation

For an employee whose regular working hours are 37.5 hours a week, the compensation for a midweek holiday is defined as 7.5 hours’ salary. For an employee whose regular working hours are 40 hours a week, the compensation for a midweek holiday is defined as 8 hours’ salary.

For an employee whose regular weekly working time is less than 37.5 hours, the compensation for a midweek holiday is calculated proportionately.

a) The employee’s weekly working time is constant
Hours to be compensated for midweek holidays are calculated such that weekly working time is divided into 5 equal parts.

b) The employee’s weekly working time is variable
Hours to be compensated for midweek holidays are calculated such that working hours for the quarter are divided into 63 equal parts. The number 63 is however reduced by working days that happen to be absences because of annual holiday or the illness of the employee or his child.

The amount of the compensation is defined on the basis of average hourly earnings as set forth in Section 9 of this agreement.

Section 10 Increases to compensation

1. Compensation for additional time and overtime

Weekly working time

Work exceeding 8 hours in a day shall be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay for the first two hours and an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay for subsequent hours.

Work exceeding 40 hours in a week (not including daily overtime) shall be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay for the first 8 hours and an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay for subsequent hours.

If the regular working time is a maximum of 37.5 hours per week, additional work exceeding that up to 40 hours a week shall be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay.

Average weekly working time

Work exceeding 10 hours in a day shall be compensated by an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay.

Work exceeding an average of 40 hours a week (not including daily overtime) shall be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay and work exceeding an average of 48 hour a week shall be compensated by an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay.

If regular working time is on average a maximum of 37.5 hours a week, work exceeding that amount up to an average of 40 hours shall be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay.

Calculation instructions

A. The number of hours worked in an adjustment period:

1. shall be reduced by the hours worked that are more than 10 in a day, and those hours shall be separately compensated by an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay.
2. shall be reduced by the maximum number of hours to be worked in an adjustment period (number of weeks x 40) and the hours left over shall be compensated with increased wages.
3. The maximum number of weekly hours to be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay shall be the number of weeks in an adjustment period multiplied by 8 hours. The remaining hours shall be compensated by an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay.

B. If the employee’s regular weekly working time is on average a maximum of 37.5 hours a week, the number 37.5 shall be used in the calculation under point 2 and the number 10.5 shall be used in the calculation under point 3, 2.5 hours of which is to be paid as additional work.

A. Average working time 40 hours a week

1. Compensated by an increase of 100% to regular pay 3 hours
2. Hours (197 – 3) 194 hours
   Adjustment period maximum hours (4 x 40) 160 hours
   Hours at increased wages (194 – 160) 34 hours
3. 50 prosentilla korotettu palkka (4 x 8) 32 hours
   100 prosentilla korotettu palkka (34 – 32) 2 hours

B. Average working time 37.5 hours a week

1. Compensated by an increase of 100% to regular pay 3 hours
2. Hours (197 – 3) 194 hours
   Adjustment period maximum hours (4 x 37,5) 150 hours
   Hours at increased wages (194 – 150) 44 hours
3. Compensated by an increase of 50% to regular pay (4 x 10,5) 42 hours
   Compensated by an increase of 100% to regular pay (44 – 42) 2 hours

10 hours of the hours that are compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay is additional work.

Period-based work

In period-based work compensation for overtime is determined according to the Working Time Act.

If regular working time is a maximum of 112.5 hours in a three-week period then additional work beyond that amount up to 120 hours shall be compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay.

Supplements

Evening, night and shift work supplements shall receive the same increase as the basic pay.

Period equivalent to time at work

When calculating additional work and overtime, the annual holiday within the meaning of the Finnish Annual Holidays Act, paid sick leave as defined in Section 11 of the collective agreement and paid leave in case of a sudden illness of a child under 10 as defined in Section 12(1) of the collective agreement are all regarded as periods equivalent to time at work.

This provision shall take effect on 1 April 2018 or, at the latest, from the beginning of the next adjustment period closest to this date.

2. Termination of employment contract in the middle of an adjustment period

a) Termination of the employment contract caused by the employee:

If the employer has the right to terminate employment for a reason arising from the employee or the employee himself terminates employment and the working time remains unequalised to the agreed average weekly working time:

• the employee is paid the regular working time wage for hours exceeding the agreed average weekly working time
• if the hours fall below the average agreed weekly working time for a monthly salaried employee, pay for the working hours that were not worked is deducted from the employee’s salary.

b) Termination of the employment contract caused by the employer:

If the employer has the right to terminate the employment contract at a time other than the trial period or the employer cancels the employment contract for business or production reasons and the working time remains unequalised to the average 37.5 / 40 hours a week:

• pay for work exceeding 37.5 / 40 hours a week is compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay and pay for work exceeding 48 hours a week is compensated by an increase of 100% to the regular rate of pay;
• if the average weekly working time falls below the agreed number of weekly working hours, the deficit is not deducted from the salary of a monthly salaried employee. An hourly paid employee is compensated according to his employment agreement for the working hours in the weekly hour budget that remain unworked

3. Supplements for evening, night and shift work

An employee who is doing other than regular shift work shall be paid an evening supplement for work done between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and a night supplement for work done between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., as follows:

The shift work supplement shall be paid to employees doing regular shift work as follows:

The hours of evening and night shifts are to be determined according to practices observed for the work in question.

4. Seniority supplement

Work in seniority roles is not taken into account when deciding on competence classifications.

The seniority supplement for the applicable period is 1,04 euros per hour.

5. Emergency work

When an employee who is not on on-call or standby duty is called in after hours to perform such unexpected work that could not have been agreed upon during normal working hours, the employee shall be paid the relevant hourly pay increased by 100% but no compensation for overtime.

Any supplements for evening, night and shift work for the duration of the emergency work are paid at single rate.

In accordance with Section 18 of this collective agreement, it can be locally agreed that the person on call may also receive the increased pay for emergency work.

6. Compensation for eves of holidays and certain Saturdays

Work done on Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve is paid a wage increased by 100%.

Work done on Saturday in the week of New Year’s Day, Epiphany, May Day, Ascension Thursday and Independence Day as well as Easter Saturday is compensated by an increase of 50% to the regular rate of pay.

The increased wage shall not be paid in unbroken three-shift work.

7. Exchange of pay for time off

Employer and employee may agree to exchange pay for additional work, overtime work, Sunday work, as well as work on eves of holidays and certain Saturdays according to Section 10 subsection 6, in whole or in part, for an equivalent amount of time off from the employee’s regular working time. The time to be taken off must be agreed. The time off must be taken within one year from when the additional work, overtime work, Sunday work or work on eves of holidays and certain Saturdays was performed.

8. Body waste supplement

The payment of the body waste supplement, (for cleaning faeces, vomit and blood indoors) shall be agreed locally.

V ABSENCES

Section 11 Illness

1. Duty to declare and medical certificate

The employee must notify the employer without delay of his incapacity for work and its estimated duration.

The employee must present on request a medical certificate of incapacity to work or other report accepted by the employer.

Regarding sick leave during maximum three calendar days the certificate can be issued by occupational health care personnel, health care nurse or nurse under the condition that

• it is an epidemic illness (e.g. influenza or gastric influenza) and
• the medical service has not been arranged as a part of the occupational health care paid by the employer and
• the employee despite of repeated requests has not received an appointment at a doctor within the public health care due to classification of the urgency of the health care or due to other urgent reasons.

If it requires employee to visit a particular doctor the employer pays the costs of procuring the medical certificate.

2. Preconditions of payment of wages

The employer pays the employee’s wages during the period of illness if

• the employment has lasted at least one month and
• the employee is prevented by illness or accident from doing the job according to the employment contract and
• the employee has not caused his incapacity for work intentionally, by criminal activity, by reckless living or by other gross negligence.

3. Payment of sick pay

Sick pay is paid from the beginning of second day lost through illness that would have been a working day for the employee.

The one-day delay in sick pay does not however apply

• when the employment has continued uninterrupted for at least two years before the beginning of the illness or
• when the incapacity for work was caused by am occupational accident or
• when the incapacity for work has continued so long that the employee has begun to receive a daily allowance under the Sickness Insurance Act. (The qualifying period under the Sickness Insurance Act is 1+9 working days.)

Sick pay is paid for each occurrence of incapacity to work as follows:

Wages are paid for the working days falling within the period.

If the incapacity for work begins in the middle of a working day or shift, the employer pays the employee’s wages until the end of the working day or shift.

Where the employee’s employment has lasted for less than a month and an accident whic occurred while working is preventing the employee from performing the work detailed in his or her employment contract, sick pay shall be paid from the very start of the employment as long as the conditions of Section 11 of the collective agreement are met. However, in such cases, sick pay shall only be paid for a maximum of 28 calendar days.

4. Amount of sick pay

Monthly salaried employees shall be paid their basic monthly salary for paid sick periods. Supplements for evening, night and shift work are paid in sick pay if they would have accrued to the employee during the period of illness. If the paid period begins or ends in the middle of a month the provision on calculating partial months in salary payment (Section 9 subsection 4) shall be observed.

Hourly waged employees shall be paid sick pay according to their average hourly earnings and their average daily working hours. The average daily working hours shall be calculated for the same time that their average hourly earnings are calculated.

Deductions

Sick pay paid by the employer is reduced by the daily allowance for the same incapacity for work and the same period of time or by a comparable compensation which is paid:

• on the basis of law,
• on the basis of insurance paid for in whole or in part by the employer or
• from the sickness insurance fund that receives a subsidy from the employer.

If the daily allowance is not paid for reasons arising from the employee himself or if it is paid in a smaller amount than normal, the employer’s obligation to pay salary is reduced by the amount remaining unpaid. If the employee is not entitled to a daily allowance at all according to the Sickness Insurance Act, the employer is not obligated to pay sick pay according to this collective agreement.

If the salary has already been paid then the employer may draw the daily allowance for itself or collect it from the employee, however to a maximum of the amount that it pays.

5. Recurrence of illness

If the employee falls ill with the same illness within 30 calendar days of returning to work, sick pay is paid as follows:

• the absences are counted together and salary is paid as if there were only one period of illness
• payment of salary begins immediately with the first day of illness, if that was to have been a working day for the employee. In this case there is no waiting period.

When the same illness recurs more than 30 days after the employee returns to work, sick pay is paid as if it were a new illness.

6. Absence due to illness without a medical certificate

In order to reduce the cost of absences due to illness, the procedure discussed below may be agreed upon locally in accordance with Section 18 of this collective agreement. The procedure refers to the practice where the employee may notify the employer of his or her short-term incapacity for work and its cause without providing a medical certificate by a doctor or nurse.

This agreement is only applied to absences due to the employee’s own illness that last no more than three calendar days and are short-term and require no medical attention (such as the common cold, stomach bug or diagnosed migraine). The employee must notify the employer of his or her incapacity for work without delay in accordance with Section 11.1. of this collective agreement.

The employer may require that the employee provide a medical certificate from day one if the employer views that there are reasonable grounds to do so. Such grounds include frequent short-term absences due to illness, events taken place at the workplace prior to the absence or a suspicion of substance abuse. In such cases, the medical certificate is a prerequisite for receiving pay.

When agreeing upon this procedure, the following may be taken into consideration:

• purpose of the agreement;
• to whom will the procedure apply: e.g. the procedure does not apply to those under treatment referrals or employees with previously diagnosed problems with their ability to work;
• how and to whom the notification is to be made;
• for how long at a time is the leave granted;
• will the procedure be applied during a trial period;
• how will the procedure be implemented if the absence is next to a day off or holiday;
• anticipating abuses of the system and the possibility to remove an employee from the scope of the procedure or deviate from the regular payment procedure during sick leave in cases of abuse;
• what will the procedure be if the illness persists;
• how many times a year can an employee be absent by his or her own notification;
• absence under doctor’s orders cannot be extended by the employee’s own notification;
• how the application of the agreement will be controlled.

The employer may also unilaterally implement the absence notification procedure where no certification verifying incapacity for work from a doctor or nurse is required.

Section 12 Temporary absence

1. Sudden illness of a child under 10

When an employee’s child under 10 years or a child under 10 years permanently living in the same household suddenly falls ill, the employee shall be paid salary according to Section 11 of this collective agreement, if

• a short absence is necessary in order to organise care for the child or to care for the child,
• the organisation of care or the care lasts 1, 2, 3 or 4 days,
• the employee has given notice of the absence, and if possible of its duration, without delay, and has delivered the same report of the child’s illness that would be required for the employee’s own illness.

The parent not living in the same household as the child has the same right.

The conditions of paying salary in this case to other than a single parent are that

• both persons permanently living in the same household as the child are gainfully employed and it is not the case that one is gainfully employed and the other parent has no possibility of arranging care or caring for the child due to his employment and working hours or
• the other person cannot care for the child as a result of participating in an employment promoting service or equivalent measure that is stipulated by the Finnish Unemployment Security Act and is a prerequisite to receiving unemployment benefits or
• one parent is prevented from participating in the care of the child because of performance of military service or reserve exercises and
• a report has been given of the other parent’s being prevented from looking after the child.

A person who has permanently separated from his spouse without a judgment for divorce is to be equated with a single parent.

Salary is to be paid only to one parent at a time for the same illness.

2. Other temporary absences

Absences with pay

The following days are days off with pay if they fall on a working day:

• the employee’s 50th and 60th birthdays
• the employee’s wedding day
• the day of the funeral of the employee’s spouse, child, spouse’s child, sibling, parent, or spouse’s parent

Employers shall be notified of absences in good time.

Absences without pay

Efforts shall be made to give an employee who has been elected to the governing body of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK or Service Workers United PAM the opportunity to participate in the meetings of the organisation.

The Congress, Delegate Council and Executive Board of SAK and the Representative Assembly, Union Board and sector committees of PAM shall be considered governing bodies.

Seriously ill child

If a child is seriously ill the employee is entitled to unpaid absence (Council of State decision 5 July 1987/93). The absence is to be agreed upon with the employer ahead of time.

3. Annual holiday benefits

The absences provided in this section are considered to be a period equivalent to time at work with the exception of absences caused by the care of a seriously ill child.

Section 13 Medical examinations

Conditions for payment of salary

The employee has the right to attend medical checkups and examinations in the following cases (a-d) without losing earnings, as long as the checkups and examinations are arranged to avoid unnecessary loss of working time and the employer is notified about them in advance, if possible.

a) Determination of illness
A necessary medical examination for determination of illness and related laboratory and X-ray examinations ordered by a doctor, if the appointment cannot be made for a time outside working hours.

b) Cancer
Time required for treatment of cancer, if the time cannot be arranged outside of working hours. Incapacity for work as a result of treatment is compensated according to Section 11 of this agreement.

c) Acute dental condition 
Care of an acute dental condition causing incapacity for work, if the illness requires care the same day. As a condition of pay, the dentist must provide a certificate of incapacity for work and the urgency of the treatment.

d) Pregnancy
Attendance by the employee of the required examinations for giving birth referred to in the Contracts of Employment Act, Section 4 subsection 8.

e) Statutory checkups and examinations

• examinations referred to in the Council of State decision on statutory occupational health care and accepted in the operating plan for occupational health care.
• examinations related to the Young Workers’ Act or the Radiation Act.
• examinations required by the Health Protection Act, arising from the transfer of the employee to another job within the same enterprise.

The employer pays the necessary travel costs of the employee for examinations or follow- up examinations in point e. Daily allowances are paid according to Section 17 of this collective agreement.

Section 14 Family leave

The provisions of this section shall come into force on 1.4.2023.

Pregnancy and parental leave, childcare leave and partial childcare leave shall be determined in accordance with the Employment Contracts Act and the Health Insurance Act.

Pay during pregnancy leave

An employee who is entitled to pregnancy allowance under section 1 of chapter 9 of the Health Insurance Act shall be paid salary for regular working hours in accordance with average hourly earnings as defined in section 9 from the start of pregnancy leave for a continuous period of 40 pregnancy allowance days.

Parental leave pay

A parent who is entitled to parental allowance under subsection 1-3 of section 5 of chapter 9 of the Health Insurance Act shall be paid salary for regular working hours in accordance with average hourly earnings as defined in section 9 from the start of parental leave for the first 36 days of parental allowance.

The payment of salary is conditional on

• the employee being entitled to pregnancy or parental allowance and complying with the rules on obtaining it,
• the employee’s employment relationship having continued without interruption for at least one year at the start of pregnancy or parental leave and
• the employee returning to work after family leave.

If the employee terminates the employment without returning to work after the family leave, the employer shall be entitled to recover the difference between the salary paid for the period of pregnancy or parental leave and the allowances paid for the corresponding period.

The daily working hours for an hourly paid employee with working hours less than 37.5 hours a week are determined so that the working time is calculated according to the average daily working hours during 12 months prior to the parental leave.

Family leaves are with above mentioned exceptions unpaid.

During a childcare leave an employee does not earn annual holiday nor does he accrue other benefits that are determined on the basis of length of employment.

VI ANNUAL HOLIDAY

Section 15 Annual holidays

The Annual Holidays Act shall apply to annual holiday, unless otherwise provided in this collective agreement.

1. Determination of holiday pay

Monthly salaried employees (14 day earnings rule or 35 hour earnings rule)

The daily pay of a monthly salaried employee during his holiday is calculated by dividing the monthly that is in force when he leaves on vacation by the number 25. This daily pay is multiplied by the number of vacation days earned.

If the holiday pay calculated by the method above does not equal the salary that would otherwise be paid to the employee, the holiday pay is to be equalised with the employee’s actual pay in the next salary payment.

Holiday pay and compensation shall be increased by the following percentage of the supplements for shift work, evening work and night work paid during the vacation qualifying year (1 April – 31 March):

• 9% if employment has lasted less than a year at the end of the holiday credit year
• 11.5% if employment has lasted at least a year at the end of the holiday credit year

Hourly paid employees (14 day earnings rule)

Holiday pay or compensation is calculated on the basis of average hourly earning as follows:

Calculation of average hourly earnings:

The salary paid or due to be paid for time at work, not counting supplements to be paid over basic salary for emergency overtime and by law or agreement for overtime, divided by the corresponding number of hours worked.

The average hourly earnings thus calculated are multiplied by the following coefficient corresponding to the number of vacation days:

Coefficient tables

If the number of vacation days is larger than 30, the coefficient is increased by 6.75 per vacation day if the weekly working time is 37.5 hours and by 7.2 per vacation day if the weekly working time is 40 hours.

If the employee’s regular working time is shorter than 37.5 hours a week, the coefficient is calculated by dividing the regular weekly working time by 37.5 and multiplying the holiday entitlement by the resulting coefficient..

Hourly paid employees (35 hour earnings rule)

Holiday pay or compensation is paid to the employee according to the following percentages:

Earnings for the holiday credit year (1 April – 31 March) are according to the Annual Holidays Act, Section 12 composed of salary paid for time at work not counting increases for overtime and emergency overtime compensation as well as increases to calculated pay.

Employees working less than 35 hours a month

Holiday bonus is not paid on holiday pay according to the Annual Holidays Act, Section 16 to employees that work less than 35 hours a month.

2. Agreement on the date of payment of holiday pay

Employer and employee may agree on the payment of holiday pay on a regular salary payment day.

Section 16 Holiday bonus

1. Amount

The holiday bonus is 50% of the employee’s holiday pay.

2. Date and conditions of payment

Half of the holiday bonus shall be paid together with the holiday pay and the other half together with that salary payment which is paid for the employee’s first day after the annual holiday, if the employee is not prevented from returning to work by an acceptable reason.

A condition of payment of the second part of the holiday bonus is that the employee duly returns from his annual holiday to work or is prevented from returning by an acceptable reason. The employee should in any case still be employed on the last day of the annual holiday.

3. Other agreement on payment of holiday bonus or exchange for time off

Employer and employee may agree to pay the holiday bonus otherwise or to exchange it for an equivalent amount of time off. The holiday bonus shall however be paid or time off shall be given before the start of the next holiday credit year.

4. Exceptional payment of holiday bonus

The holiday bonus shall also be paid together with holiday compensation if employment terminates during the holiday season (2 May – 30 September) for reasons other than those arising with the employee himself. A fixed-term employment agreement does not constitute a reason arising with the employee himself. The holiday bonus is paid in that case only for the holiday compensation of an already concluded vacation qualifying year.

If the employment is terminated for business or production reasons during his annual holiday, the holiday bonus shall be paid as extending until the end of his declared annual holiday.

An employee who returns to work having fulfilled his military service obligation or women’s voluntary military service receives the holiday bonus for that holiday compensation that was paid to him before he left for military service. The holiday bonus shall be paid together with the first salary payment following the employee’s return to work.

An employee who is retiring on an old age pension, disability pension, early old age or disability pension shall be paid the holiday bonus as well as annual holiday pay and annual holiday compensation.

VII TRIPS

Section 17 Travel

1. Business trips

A business trip refers to a trip taken on the order of the employer outside of the enterprise’s customary place of business. The place of business refers to a town, municipality, or unified business area formed by multiple towns or municipalities.

The date and means of travel shall be agreed before departure, which is also a requirement for compensation of travel costs.

2. Travel expenses

Compensation for travel expenses (daily allowance and kilometre allowance) and principles of compensation (deadlines) are determined by a decision of the National Board of Taxation (www.vero.fi) or according to the corresponding level of travel regulations in the enterprise.

3. Compensation for travel time

Compensation for travel time, if the time does not fall within normal working hours, is paid in the amount of the regular wage for working time, up to a maximum of 4 hours a day.

Travel time is not counted as working time unless it is also being used for work performance according to the Working Time Act.

VIII LOCAL AGREEMENT

Section 18 Local agreements

The following provisions apply to local agreements:

• The parties to the agreement are the employer or his representative and the shop steward, employees or an employee.
• The agreement shall be made in writing.
• The agreement may be made until further notice or for a fixed period. An agreement valid until further notice or a fixed-term agreement that has lasted over nine (9) months may be terminated observing a period of notice of three (3) months. An agreement applying to period-based work may be terminated with a period of notice of three (3) months after it has been valid for two years.

A local agreement has the same obligations as a provision of a collective agreement. When the agreement expires the provisions of this collective agreement shall be complied with. If the arrangement has been committed to for a certain time period, the arrangement continues to the end of the period regardless of any notice of termination.

The shop steward has the right to inspect the local agreements applying to the employees he represents.

IX SHOP STEWARD

Section 19 Shop steward

The Shop Steward Agreement between the Real Estate Employers and Service Union United PAM can be found appended to this collective agreement (Attachment 3).

X OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

Section 20 Occupational safety

The employer has an obligation to take measures necessary to safeguard the safety and health of the employees. For this purpose the employer must take account of the work, working conditions and other work surroundings as well as details relating to the individual needs of employees. The employer must also conduct an assessment of the dangers and hindrances of the work premises and surroundings, on the basis of which effective occupational safety measures shall be drawn up.

The employee must observe and comply with the rules and instructions given by the employer. The employee shall otherwise observe and comply with the arrangements and cleanliness as well as carefulness and caution necessary to maintain the safety and health of his work and working conditions. The employee shall also, to the extent allowed by his experience, training and guidance received from the employer, and professional skill and with the means at his disposal, look out for his own as well as other employee’s safety and health.

The associations recommend that attention should be paid to healthy and secure working methods in the introduction to the work. The employee should also receive information about the occupational safety organisation of the company as well as about sick leave practice and occupational health care.

The Collective Agreements Act, Sections 7–10 shall not apply to the clause above.

Protective clothing and equipment

If the nature or conditions of the work make special work clothes or other equipment necessary in order to avoid accident or illness, the employer is obligated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to provide this protective equipment to the employee for his use.

The employer shall pay for protective clothing that is necessary for occupational safety as well as other necessary protective equipment.

Section 21 Industrial safety delegate

The organisation of industrial safety shall comply with legislation in force as well as with the provisions of the agreement on co-operation in industrial safety between the Employers’ Confederation of Service Industries and the Central Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK, unless provided otherwise in this collective agreement.

By “workplace” is meant any of the enterprise’s place of business (town, municipality or business area formed by multiple towns and municipalities), unless otherwise agreed by the labour market organisations.

The labour market organisations state that the practical arrangements for the election of an industrial safety delegate according to the Work Safety Supervision Act and Decree are the affair of the employees. It is however the duty of the employer to supply lists of the employees who are on the payroll on the date of the arrangements.

The industrial safety delegate has the right to receive time off work to attend to his duties. The time to be used for these duties is determined on the basis of the number of employees represented by the industrial safety delegate. Both full-time and part-time employees are to be counted in this number.

The monthly compensation to be paid to the industrial safety delegate is determined on the same grounds as the time off work.

If the same person is both shop steward and industrial safety delegate the compensation to be paid is determined to maximum the amount to be paid to a shop steward that is granted fulltime off work.

The employer shall compensate the industrial safety delegate for telephone costs incurred by him in the performance of his duties, on the basis of accounts submitted. Travel expenses incurred by the delegate in attending to his duties shall be compensated on the basis of this collective agreement.

The industrial safety delegate is on his own initiative obliged to get acquainted with the working environment of the work place, the facilities as well as the stipulations concerning industrial safety. He shall also call the attention of those employees he is representing to questions regarding the working environment and the facilities that have influence on the safety and health of the employees. The industrial safety delegate informs the supervisor on basis of the work and the conditions and gives suggestions and if needed also informs other representatives of the employer.

XI OTHER PROVISIONS

Section 22 Group life assurance

The employer shall procure group life assurance, as agreed between the central organisations.

Section 23 Trade union membership fees

The membership fee of Service Union United PAM shall be collected from employees’ salaries in each pay period once the employee has submitted an authorisation to do so. The payments shall be disbursed monthly to the account of Service Union United PAM.

Section 24 Assembly at the workplace

Employees working for an enterprise who are members of a Service Union United PAM local trade union branch may hold meetings on employment questions and management of organisational matters at the workplace outside of working hours, if

• the holding of the meeting is agreed upon with the employer in advance,
• the employer has a meeting place that is appropriate for the purpose and
• the organiser is responsible for the arrangements and the cleanliness of the meeting rooms.

Section 25 Work clothes and tools

The employer shall cover the costs of work clothes for its employees and give the employees the use of work tools and materials. The employee shall be responsible while doing the work for those tools and materials that have been entrusted to him as well as for storing them in the storage place shown to him by the employer.

Section 26 Order of negotiations

Differences of opinion concerning this agreement shall be negotiated first between employer and employee or their shop stewards. If consensus is not achieved in these consultations, consultations will be conducted between the Real Estate Employers and Service Union United PAM. If consensus is not achieved in these consultations either, the matter can be brought to the Labour Court for decision.

Section 27 Industrial peace

All means of industrial action that are directed at this collective agreement in its entirety or any of its individual provisions are prohibited.

Section 28 Validity of the agreement

This agreement is valid from 1 March 2023 to 31 March 2025 and thereafter for one year at a time unless terminated by either party one month before its expiry at the latest.

The provisions of this agreement are valid until a new collective agreement has come into force or either contracting party states that negotiations have ended.

Helsinki 23 May 2023
REAL ESTATE EMPLOYERS
SERVICE UNION UNITED PAM

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 Salary system for the facilities services sector

According to the system wages consist of a task-specific salary. The task-specific salary is determined based on the demands (competence classification) of the job. The classification is determined in relation to the competence, interaction, responsibility and working conditions demanded by the job.

In addition to in addition to the task-specific salary employees receive an education supplement based on qualifications they hold.

Task-specific salary

Competence factors in the competence classification system

Competence and interaction

The competence factor is used to evaluate how accurate the work instructions are. The more applied deliberation that the job requires, the more demanding it is considered to be. A job is more demanding the more it involves knowledge of a customer’s service/production process or the ability to take into account the demands of the process.

Evaluation of technical skills includes knowledge of work methods, regulations, machinery, equipment, substances and their use. At the highest competence levels, specialist training is required in addition to experience.

Interaction refers to the extent to which the job requires influencing other people’s decisions. Influence can be internal within the workplace or external, related to customers or other outside parties.

There are six competence levels. The level is determined on the basis of how much competence the tasks at hand require. There are three levels of interaction. Different levels of interaction may appear at each competence level, but the interaction levels in the darker boxes are unusual at the competence level in question.

Seniority is not taken into account when evaluating this factor of the competence classification.

Responsibility

Responsibility refers to the margin for interpretation contained within the work instructions and the effect that decisions made on this basis by the employee have on the customer. There are four responsibility levels. The level is determined on the basis of total responsibility of the job. The intension is to evaluate, how the job (not its negligence) affects to customer’s service/production process..

Working Conditions

Disruptive or inconvenient circumstances have a direct effect on the job and hinder the work in comparison with normal working conditions. These circumstances may require the use of exceptional protective gear or equipment. What is measured is the quantity and extent of the strain caused repeatedly by the work in relation to the working hours.

Carrying out the evaluation

The evaluation of the factors of the competence classification is done in cooperation between the employer and a shop steward. If the company does not have a shop steward, the employees may appoint a representative from among their ranks. A local agreement may also be made regarding a larger task force that will conduct the classification.

The purpose of the wage system is to correctly classify jobs based on their demands.

The classification is based on the actual and established content of the work. The evaluation focuses on the jobs and tasks, not on the employees or their performance. Job titles, old contracts, old job descriptions or the usual salary paid for a task are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the actual and up-to-date demands of a job.

The level is evaluated separately for each factor in the competence classification.

Employees’ salaries are set generally in accordance with the competence classification of the job that the employee mostly does.

If a job clearly consists of two or more tasks that have different competence classifications, and none of them accounts for a clear majority of the working hours, there are two options:

1. Calculate an average of the tasks’ scores, weighted according to the time spent on each task;
2. Evaluate the tasks separately and pay the salary separately for each task depending on the time spent on each (salary varies according to the content of the job).

The employer chooses which of these options to use.

If the employer and employee sides cannot agree on an evaluation, the final decision is made by the employer. Any possible disagreements shall be resolved following the order of negotiations described in Section 26 of the collective agreement.

Stages of Competence Classification

1. Job Descriptions

The first step for making a proper competence classification in accordance with the new wage system is to formulate job descriptions. The job description must take into account the tasks completed within a sufficiently long period of time, to ensure that sporadic and incidental variations are accounted for. It should not be too specific or detailed, but rather describe the elements that play a fundamental role in the job.

2. Reference Jobs

In companies with a lot of jobs to evaluate, reference jobs may be chosen to simplify the classification. The reference jobs must comprise a set of distinct and different tasks which form a representative sample of the work carried out within the company or workplace. The procedure is technical in nature and it does not mean that the reference jobs result a binding framework for all other jobs. The reference jobs must be described in writing so that the applicability of the profiles can be assessed in the long run.

Other jobs’ competence classifications are determined either by using the evaluation system above or by comparing the job to other jobs or reference jobs. Comparing should also be made separately for each competence factor.

Reference jobs may not be necessary in small companies or workplaces, where each job can be classified directly using the system. In all cases, it must be ensured that those who conduct the evaluation are sufficiently familiar with the jobs being evaluated.

3. Competence Classification of the reference jobs

The demands (competence classification) of jobs and reference jobs are evaluated based on the job descriptions.

The evaluation is done one factor (competence, interaction, responsibility and working conditions) at a time. In other words, no job is evaluated as a whole for all factors at once.

The point score awarded to each factor in accordance with the system determines how demanding a task is in relation to other classified tasks.

The results of the evaluation and the assumptions made in the evaluation must be recorded. In this way, the same principles can be applied later and the reasons behind certain choices can be checked. This ensures the consistency of evaluations.

In evaluating a task, the employee’s current wage group must not be used as a basis for comparison.

4. Other Jobs

Other Jobs are evaluated after the competence classification of the reference jobs. The competence classification is determined either by using the evaluation system above or by comparing the job to reference jobs or job models.

5. Determining How Demanding an Employee’s Job Is

The competence classification on which the task-specific salary for a job is based is determined according to how demanding the job is by using the evaluation system. The evaluation provides each job with a total point score that determines the competence classification of the job.

6. Job Models

Job models provide an indication of the competence classification of various tasks and their purpose is to set an example of possible job descriptions and competence classifications.

The models may be used as an aid in the evaluation if they are comparable to an employee’s actual job. However, remember that the models are simply examples and may not be applicable to actual jobs. If an employee’s actual job does not correspond to a model in all respects, the model may not be used as is, and the competence classification must be done using the method indicated above.

7. Changes and Reviews

The competence classification of a job must correspond to how demanding the job is in real life. If assignments or working conditions change on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, the evaluation must be redone.

Factors affecting the competence classification must be reviewed regularly by the evaluation task force, in the agreed manner. Annual reviews are recommended, for example in conjunction with salary reviews based on collective agreements or at other agreed times.

Employee salaries

The salary table in the wage system has ten levels. The task-specific salary is determined according to the total point score that determines the competence classification of the job.

Structure of the Wage Table

Trainees

Trainees are employees who do not yet possess the professional skills or qualifications required for a job, and whose work therefore requires supervision. Trainees are remunerated according to Competence Level 1. The concept of “trainee” includes employees who are completing a practical work session included in their education and students who are employed in their vacation periods. The training period is the time within which most trainees obtain the necessary confidence, performance level and independent deliberation ability required for the job in question. Training periods are determined separately for each job.

Education supplement

The education supplement is paid to employees who have fully completed a basic degree or vocational or specialized vocational qualification in a field relevant to their work. The education supplement is paid in addition to the employee’s personal salary. Only qualifications completed after 1 January 1997 entitle the holder to the education supplement.

To receive the education supplement the qualification must be fundamentally related to the employee’s current tasks and the employee must present an appropriate certificate verifying the qualification. The education supplement will be paid from the beginning of the salary payment month that follows the presentation of the certificate.

Depending on the qualification, the education supplement can be equivalent to 2%, 3% or 5% of the employee’s task-specific salary in accordance with the competence classification table:

• basic degree 2 %
• vocational qualification 3 %
• specialized vocational qualification 5 %

The education supplement is only paid for one qualification at a time, which is always the highest applicable qualification.

Transfer to the new wage system

This new wage system will come into effect on 1 January 2011 and entirely replaces the previous KIPARE Wage System for the Property Services Sector and the Wage System for the Cleaning Sector from that date. Competence classifications according to the new system must be made by 30 June 2011.

If an employee’s individual salary does not correspond to the minimum salary determined in the wage system after the new competence classification, the salary must be revised to correspond to the minimum according the new system.

If an employee’s individual salary calculated according to the new competence classification is lower than his or her previous salary, the salary may not be revised downwards when adopting the new system. In this case individual salary includes a salary portion that can later be removed in conjunction with pay rises.

The work experience supplement according to the old Wage System for the Cleaning Sector and the personal salary portion of the old KIPARE wage system must remain, the quantity remaining the same in euros, in the form of employees’ personal supplements, which may not be removed in conjunction with pay rises until 1 January 2013. These personal supplements are not subject to general pay increases in 2011 and 2012.

Upon adoption of the new wage system, the old requirements regarding floor-specific maintenance work in the hotel sector will be removed, but a minimum pay that is equivalent to the current pay level must be agreed for floor-specific work. The minimum level for floor-specific work must be revised once a year in conjunction with the pay reviews for the Collective Agreement for the Property Services Sector (starting on 1 January). The reference salary should be the salary received by the employee on 31 December 2010.

The parties have jointly formulated a salary system application guide with model templates.

Attachment 2 Minutes on reducing work time for employees in the facilities services sector

Section 1 Scope

The reduction of yearly working time by 100 hours affects those employees whose regular working time is 40 hours a week.

The reduction decreases the following regular annual periods of time off:

• annual holidays of more than 30 business days
• days off based on a supplementary agreement or practice.

Section 2 Accumulation of days off

Also counted as regular working days worked are days when the employee is absent from work, and for which the employer pays salary or compensates for loss of earnings. However, employees do not accumulate annual leave for the working hours that have been eliminated in the reduction.

Section 3 Conferral of days off

The reduction in working hours shall happen without lowering earnings. The hours that have been eliminated from working time shall be accumulated as part of the annual holiday.

Days off accrued during the calendar year shall be given to the employee for use no later than the end of September of the following year, unless employer and employee agree otherwise. The days off shall be given on a date designated by the employer.

The employer shall strive to notify the employee of when the days off are available to be taken as early as possible and at the latest one week before giving them.

The time off shall be given as full days each compensating one shift or working day, or by shortening daily and/or weekly working time in ways to be determined by the employer. Employer and employee can agree on other ways to confer the time off, or on compensating the time off with money. This agreement is to be made in writing.

Entry on record:

These minutes shall not change the practice with respect to free time from working hours reductions for persons employed under the collective agreement on terms of employment for the cleaning sector whose regular working time as of 31 December 2005 was 40 hours a week and whose practice with respect to free time from working hours reductions was that the employer gave free time in shift-based units.

Absences do not cause changes in the compensatory free days for working hour’s reductions that are marked on the work schedule.

Section 4 Termination of employment

If the employee has not been given the time off he has accumulated when his employment terminates, the employer shall pay the employee an equivalent salary for the time off on the basis of his average hourly earnings.

If the employee has been given too much time off when employment terminates, the employer shall withhold salary equivalent to the extra time from the final settling of accounts with the employee.

Section 5 Weekly overtime

If an employee’s regular working time is shortened due to time off that must be given, work done on the days off shall be paid the same compensation as weekly overtime.

If time off is given by shortening daily or weekly working time, then additional work done during the hours off, which is not daily or weekly overtime, shall be compensated as weekly overtime.

Section 6 Period of validity of the agreement

This agreement is valid for the same period as the collective agreement on terms of employment for the facilities services sector.

Helsinki, 21 October 2005
REAL ESTATE EMPLOYERS
SERVICE UNION UNITED PAM

Attachment 3 Shop steward agreement

Purpose of the Agreement

Shop Steward Agreement’s purpose is to improve cooperation between employer and employees in different parts of a company and prevent arising problems.

Changes in the operating environment emphasize the importance of cooperation and local bargaining. Employers and the shop stewards are required to an unbiased approach to challenges. This requires regular interaction between the employer and the shop steward.

Due to changes in emphasis of the shop steward tasks the role of the shop steward has become more like a partner in the company’s and its staff’s various development projects as well as improving company productivity and job satisfaction.

The future challenges of facilities services, joint development projects and local bargaining require a comprehensive agreement on the shop steward system in which credit the shop stewards have the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out their duties.

The associations consider it important that cooperation is promoted at the workplace, and this requires that shop stewards must be well acquainted with the company’s operations and the changing operating environment.

Section 1 Scope

The agreement is applied within the scope of the Collective Agreement for Facilities Services Sector Employees.

Section 2 Duties of a shop steward

The shop stewards shall:

• improve cooperation between employer and employees
• improve and maintain industrial peace
• participate in settling local agreements
• represent organized workers in the work area
• monitor and promote employee compliance of collective agreements and labour legislation
• participate in local dispute settlement
• be an active partner in the productivity and development projects

An agreement made within the framework of the shop steward’s authority is also binding on the employees he represents.

Section 3 Election of shop steward

By shop steward is meant the chief shop steward, the regional chief shop steward and the local shop steward.

The shop steward shall be an employee of the enterprise in the sector covered by the collective agreement for the facilities services sector and a member of the Service Union United.

In his employment the shop steward is similar position as all other workers in the company.

General rules

The shop steward shall be elected by employees of the enterprise who belong to a local trade union branch.

If more than one shop steward is put forward for election in any collective agreement sector of the enterprise, an election is to be agreed upon with the employer.

The local trade union branch has the right to organise the election at the workplace. An opportunity shall be reserved for all members to participate in the election. The employer shall set aside time for the persons named by the local trade union branch for the election to be carried out. The employer shall be notified of the election at the latest 7 days before it takes place.

Shop stewards

Shop stewards and deputies may be elected accordingly:

1. Chief shop steward

A chief shop steward may be elected in an enterprise with at least three employees.

Enterprises operating nationally or over a broad geographic area are divided from the point of view of the expedient performance of the shop steward position into multiple geographic entities taking account of the business and administrative responsibilities of the enterprise. Regional chief shop stewards are elected for the geographic entities in question.

If several regional chief shop stewards have been selected in company, the shop stewards can choose a company’s chief shop steward from among them. The company’s shop steward’s task is to organize joint deliberations in matters of common interest in the enterprise. At the same time the chief shop stewards must also agree on the company’s chief shop steward’s mandate. The employer must be notified in writing of the selected company’s chief shop steward and his mandate.

In enterprises where the shop steward organization is so constructed that the geographic areas are represented by regional chief shop stewards they must be given an opportunity to meet and address common issues when necessary. Employer and chief shop stewards must agree on the quantity of meetings and the practical arrangements. The employer shall defray on the costs of these meetings.

2. Local shop steward

Local shop stewards may be elected in enterprises operating nationally over a broad geographic area when the employer and chief shop steward agree on the matter in writing. Elected local shop steward represents workers of the area in matters concerning the area.

Election of local shop steward

When the employer and the chief shop steward agree on the areas where the local shop stewards may be elected, they must take into account the following:

• organizational and decision-making structure of the enterprise
• management autonomy and separation of the area in question
• number of staff
• needs to develop co-operation, local bargaining and negotiating systems.

3. Deputy shop steward

The employer shall be notified in writing when the deputy shop steward will be acting as a substitute. When acting in place of the shop steward, the deputy shall have the same rights and duties as the shop steward.

Compensation of shop steward duties shall be paid to the deputy when acting in place of the shop steward.

Announcements to the employer

The trade union shall immediately notify the employer in writing of elected shop stewards and their deputies and of the endings of shop steward’s term of office. The shop steward status comes into force at the earliest from the time when the employer has been duly notified of the election.

If a shop steward who has been elected for a fixed term continues in his position without a shop steward election, the employer is to be notified of this immediately and in writing.

Having been informed of the new shop steward the employer shall immediately notify shop steward in writing of the person who will negotiate with the shop steward on behalf of the employer.

Change in circumstances

When the enterprise or a part of it is substantially reduced or expanded or a transfer, merger, or comparable organisational change in a business, the local trade union branch should as soon as possible bring the shop steward organisation into correspondence to the changed size and structure of the enterprise or part of the enterprise.

Section 4 Information to be provided to the shop steward

These stipulations do not limit the shop steward’s right to information separately defined in law and central organisation agreements.

If confusion or difference of opinion arises about an employee’s salary or the application of a law or agreement related to employment, the shop steward shall be given all of the information that has a bearing on the settlement of the case.

The employer must at a request of chief shop stewards request the design of the system. Employer and the Steward may agree on the exact design of the work of the review of individual job site.

The shop steward shall be given at his request the following information on the employees of the enterprise:

In addition the chief shop steward shall be given at his request the following information on group-specific work area of employees, provided that the information is based on the company’s other activities arising from the data file:

• The average monthly or hourly pay, excluding supplements
• The average monthly or hourly wage with supplements
• Total hours worked and proportion of overtime of the hours worked.

The chief shop steward shall receive the above information once a year in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement’s salary grouping. Information relating to the six individuals of smaller groups of employees is not provided.

The chief shop steward shall be given at his request a report of the information collected in connection with hiring.

The chief shop steward has the right to examine a list drawn up of emergency work and overtime work and the increased compensation paid for these.

The shop steward shall keep the information he receives in order to attend to his duties confidential.

Section 5 Release from work and storage space

Release from work

The shop steward has the right to sufficient time off from work to attend to his duties as shop steward.

The factors that should be taken into account as affecting the amount of time off include the number of employees and workplaces, the location of the place of business and the nature of the operations of the enterprise.

Steward for duties agreed upon times a week can also be combined. Exemption from the time the date is agreed between employer or his representative.

Release time from work and use of time and compensation

Table presented below in accordance with work release time is given only to the company’s chief shop steward, unless otherwise agreed by company.

Shop steward of their duties shall be paid compensation only from the company’s chief shop steward, unless otherwise agreed by company.

Time off from work given to the chief shop steward shall be defined on the basis the total number of full-time and part-time employees in the area represented by him, as follows:

The number of employees is reviewed every six months.

The shop steward has the right to visit the job sites in the area represented by him when the date of the visit and other practices have been agreed between the employer or his representative and the shop steward prior to the visit.

Working circumstances

The shop steward shall be given sufficient storage space for his files, taking the conditions of the workplace into account, and if needed shall have the right use appropriate office space and ordinary office equipment under the employer’s control.

Conventional concept of office equipment is also covered by the company generally available computer hardware and related software, and Internet access (email). The evaluation will take into account size of the enterprise, scope and tasks of the shop steward and correct use of time. Practical arrangements will be agreed locally.

According to the size of the enterprise, the employer and the shop steward agree on a both parties suitable arrangement concerning the generally used communication and information systems in the enterprise as well as other conditions on the work place on basis of which the shop steward regularly can inform the employees he represents and new employees about issues that belong to the shop steward tasks.

The employer shall, on request, provide the shop steward with contact information of the employees in the shop steward’s area of responsibility to which the employer has access.

Section 6 Compensation for lost earnings

Compensation for lost earnings

The employer shall compensate those earnings which the shop steward loses in attending to his duties as shop steward during his regular working time. The shop steward shall be paid compensation according to this collective agreement, Section 9.2.

When the shop steward carries out duties agreed upon with the employer outside of his regular working time, he shall be paid the compensation for additional work and overtime work according to this collective agreement.

Travel expenses

If the shop steward has to travel because of his shop steward duties as agreed upon with the employer, his travel expenses shall be reimbursed as in connection with normal working duties.

Where the employer has permitted the shop steward to use his or her own car for travel, kilometre allowance shall be paid.

The earnings development of the chief shop steward

The earnings development of the chief shop steward should correspond at least to the average earnings development of equivalent employees in the corresponding occupation group in the enterprise.

Section 7 Shop steward trainings

The shop steward has the right to participate in training that is in accordance with the training agreement.

The employer and the chief shop steward shall investigate during shop steward’s term weather the maintenance of skills, either the former or equivalent job, requires occupational training, which is arranged also for other workers.

At the expiration of his duties as chief shop steward, the chief shop steward and the employer shall investigate together whether the employee requires training to maintain his level of occupational skill for his former job or a similar job. The employer shall arrange any training required on the basis of this discussion.

Section 8 Safeguarding of employment

Prohibition of discrimination

The shop steward shall not be discharged from his job or otherwise discriminated against on account of his work as shop steward.

He shall not during his term as shop steward or because of it be transferred to a lower paid or less respected job than that which he held when he was elected shop steward.

Principles of business and production related notice

If an enterprise terminates or lays off employees for business or production related reasons, this measure cannot be applied to the shop steward, unless the operations of the enterprise or a part of the enterprise including the shop steward’s area of authority are being discontinued completely.

If it is jointly stated or the employer can otherwise demonstrate with respect to the individual in these negotiations that the shop steward cannot be offered a job that corresponds to his occupation or is otherwise suitable, an exception may be made to this regulation.

The shop steward may for business or production reasons be terminated or laid off only when:

• his work is completely discontinued and no other job corresponding to his occupational skills can be found for him or
• the employer cannot train him for other job according to Section 7:4 of the Employment Contracts Act.

Individual protection

The shop steward has a special protection against termination according to the Contracts of Employment Act (Section 7:10, subsection 1)

The shop steward’s employment agreement may not be terminated contrary to the regulations in the Contracts of Employment Act, Section 8:1-3.

Due to different reasons there may arise problems between the shop steward and the employer, which when they have reached an acute stage, may lead to the employer considering dismissal of the shop steward. The associations shall, as soon as they have been informed of this matter, start negotiations to find out the reasons, conditions and facts having led to the situation. The negotiations shall take place without delay in order not to exceed the deadlines according to the Contracts of Employment Act. The aim of the negotiations is to try to reach a mutual standpoint on the conditions on basis of which the confidence between the employer and the shop steward, that is the ground for the employment, may be restored. This procedure also applies to deputy steward. Remainder of the employment protection provisions do not apply to deputy steward, except when acting in place of the shop steward.

Protection of candidates

The provisions on safeguarding of employment shall apply also to candidates for the post of shop steward, whose nomination shall be made known in writing to the employer.

Protection of candidates shall begin at the earliest three months before the beginning of the chief shop steward’s term of office, and end for those who are not elected once the election result has been confirmed by the organiser of the election.

Safeguarding of employment after expiration of term

The provisions on safeguarding of employment shall apply also to an employee who has functioned as chief shop steward for six months after the expiration of his term as chief shop steward.

Compensation

A shop steward whose employment agreement has been terminated by his employer in contravention of this agreement shall be paid compensation of a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 30 days of salary. This compensation shall be determined according to the same principles as provided in the Contracts of Employment Act, Section 12:2 subsection 2, and the employee’s position as shop steward shall also be taken account of in this case.

The labour market organisations may also in individual cases agree on a smaller compensation than 10 months of salary.

Section 9 Organisation of negotiations

The negotiation system is determined according to the collective agreement for the facilities services sector, Section 26.

Section 10 Validity of the agreement

This agreement is valid from 1 May 2010 until further notice. The period of notice for terminating it is two months.

Attachment 4 Training agreement

Section 1 Working group on training

For the execution of the trade union training intended by the agreement, there is a working group on training to which each of the parties shall name two representatives.

The working group on training shall approve all courses a calendar year at a time. Courses may also be approved in the middle of the calendar year if needed.

In making decisions to approve courses the working group should draw attention to the fact that if needed courses shorter than a week and local courses should also be approved for compensation.

Before a course is approved, the working group shall be given a report of the goals, teaching programme, dates, location, target group, and other information requested by them about the course. A condition of approving a course is the jointly stated need for training. The working group on training shall have the opportunity to follow the teaching in a course they approve.

The labour market organisations shall notify the working group of the courses it has approved at the latest two months before the start of the first course.

In the view of the working group on training, it is important that economic understanding is improved. The working group on training shall increase training that improves understanding of business operations in the trade union training receiving employer’s support.

Section 2 Occupational advanced training, further training and retraining

Where the employer gives the employee occupational training or sends the employee to a training opportunity related to his occupation, costs involved in the training and loss of earnings from regular working time shall be compensated. If the training occurs outside of working hours, the employee shall be compensated for the direct costs associated with the training. Before registering for a training opportunity it shall be stated whether the training is training according to this section.

Loss of earnings from regular working time shall be compensated according to the employee’s average hourly earnings. Travel costs shall be compensated according to the cheapest means of transport.

In order to secure and increase the supply of competent work force in the branch the associations recommend that the employees should have opportunities to participate in education supporting and developing their professional skills. The associations also recommend that the employer pays the costs caused during the employee’s education, if the employer and the employee agree on the purpose of the education.

Section 3 General training

General training refers to for example general training required by a cooperation agreement, training related to participation systems and basic and specialised courses required from the point of view of industrial safety cooperation and organised by enterprises or the Centre for Occupational Safety.

Participation in the training shall be agreed upon within the workplace between the employer and employee or shop steward or in some other way agreed upon within the workplace. Participation in the training shall be compensated in the same way as training according to Section 2.1. Preservation of employment and notification deadlines

Section 4 Trade union training

1. Preservation of employment and notification deadlines

A representative of the employees shall be given the opportunity without breaking his employment to participate in a course approved by the working group on training and lasting at most one month, if participation in the course can take place without causing a substantial inconvenience to the enterprise.

The workforce representative can participate in one course with the same contents in a year.

If the workforce representative is to attend a course module lasting a maximum of two weeks and the training is to be organised in more than one period, the employee has the right to participate in two course periods in a year.

If participation is denied, the workforce representative in question shall be notified 10 days before the course begins of the reason why granting time off would produce a substantial inconvenience.

Notification of plans to participate in a course shall be made as early as possible. If the course lasts a maximum of one week, notification shall be given a minimum of three weeks before the course begins. If the course is longer than one week, notification shall be given a minimum of six weeks before the course begins.

The labour market organisation’s industrial safety course should be aimed especially at industrial safety delegates.

2.Compensation

The chief shop steward, the deputy chief shop steward and the industrial safety delegate may participate in a course approved by the working group on training, without their salary being reduced.

For a shop steward the loss of earnings shall be compensated within a maximum of two weeks and for an industrial safety delegate within a maximum of one week. In respect of the occupational safety representatives’ advanced course, loss of earnings shall also be compensated for the second week. A condition of the compensation for lost earnings is in addition that the course in question be related to the participant’s cooperative work within the enterprise.

The loss of earnings shall be compensated at the employee’s average hourly rate of earnings.

Section 5 Other provisions

Participation in training according to Section 4 shall not reduce annual leave, retirement, or other comparable benefits.

Section 6 Period of validity

This agreement is valid until further notice. The period of notice is three months.

Helsinki, 21 October 2005
REAL ESTATE EMPLOYERS
SERVICE UNION UNITED PAM

Attachment 5 Minutes on prevention of violence threats

Threat assessment

According to the Act on Occupational safety the employer’s assessment of threats occurring in service working tasks should also include a judgement of violence threats against the working place. The judgement should be updated at least once a year.

The assessment should pay attention to among other things working alone, especially in evenings and at nights and violence that has occurred at the work place or in the near environment.

According to the assessment the employer together with the client arrange the work and the working conditions so that violence threats can be prevented or cut down.

Prevention of threats

When the contract of employment is agreed on, the employee should be informed of possible working alone and the risks in connection to that.

Violence threats could be prevented by:

• drawing up instructions in case of violence
• giving the employee enough introduction or training to prevailing security and alarm systems
• in the assessment taking into account violence threats when dimensioning the work force in planning both working shifts and working hours
• securing contact to police or a private security company, for example by telephone

Aftercare in threat situations

The employer arranges needed aftercare.

Attachment 6 Model employment contract

Attachment 7 Agreement on on-call duty

Attachment 8 Minutes for the conclusion of the collective agreement for employees in the facilities services sector

1. Validity of agreement

The collective agreement comes into force on 1.3.2023 and is in force until 31.3.2025.

2. Wage increases in the agreement period

The following wage increases will be paid during the agreement period:

1. Personal wages will be increased by 95 euros a month (0.59 euros an hour) on 1.5.2023 (or from the start of the first wage payment period starting after that).
2. Personal wages will be increased by 1.8 per cent on 1.8.2024 (or from the start of the first wage payment period starting after that).

Pay scales will be increased by 4.4 per cent on 1.5.2023 and by 1.8 per cent on 1.8.2024. These percentual increases will be made to wage group 2 (baseline figure), maintaining differentials.

Point values, minimum wages and basic hourly wages in the protocol on janitor’s work and cleaners paid on a points-based system will be increased correspondingly on the same dates.

Payments for shop stewards and occupational safety representatives will be increased by 6.2 per cent from 1.5.2023.

3. One per cent cost impact due to increase date

The agreement does not include a one-off amount, but a wage increase effect corresponding to a one-off amount has been factored in by bringing forward the date of the increase for the first year.

4. Section 7 Termination of employment

Technical correction made to paragraph 3 as follows:

3. Lay-off notice period

An employee can be laid off in accordance with the Employment Contracts Act. By local agreement, the lay-off notice period can be shortened to 7 days.

5. New paragraph: negotiation proposal period in accordance with the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings

New paragraph 4 added to section 7 as follows:

4. Negotiation proposal period in accordance with the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings

If an employer lays off employees, the 5-day negotiation proposal period is included in the total negotiating period.

6. Section 8 Working time

2. Working week and working day

Paragraph 2 amended (reasons related to working arrangements added as a requirement to second paragraph) to read as follows:

The working week shall be a maximum of five days. When an adjustment period is used the weeks to be on average a maximum of five days.

The employer and employee may agree on a six-day working week for reasons related to work arrangements.

The working week and working day shall begin on Monday at 00:00 unless otherwise agreed. If the beginning of the working day is otherwise agreed, then the compensation for Sunday work shall nevertheless be paid for hours worked during Sunday (12 am to 12 am).

7. Section 8 Working time

Paragraph 12 of section 8 amended such that there are a minimum of 14 combinations of days off:

12. Combinations of days off

Within a calendar year, the employee shall have at least 14 Saturday-Sunday combinations of days off, unless otherwise agreed with the employee or unless there is a justified reason to deviate from this rule. The combinations of days off do not apply to employees who mainly only work weekends. Days off that land on the annual holiday are counted as towards the employee’s quota of combinations of days off. Where the employee has not worked for a full year, combinations of days off are given in proportion to the time worked.

8. Section 9 Payment regulations

New sentence added at the end of second subparagraph of paragraph 5 of section 9:

5. Payment of salary

On termination of the employment relationship, the final salary payment shall be payable on the 10th calendar day after the end of the employment relationship if the employee has provided all details necessary for making the payment. The employer and shop steward may agree locally on a different date for the final salary payment in accordance with Section 18 of the collective agreement. Upon termination of the employment relationship, payment of final salary may be agreed differently with the employee in accordance with section 18 of the collective agreement.

9. Section 14 Family leave

Content of section 14 amended as follows:

The provisions of this section shall come into force on 1.4.2023.

Pregnancy and parental leave, childcare leave and partial childcare leave shall be determined in accordance with the Employment Contracts Act and the Health Insurance Act.

Pay during pregnancy leave

An employee who is entitled to pregnancy allowance under section 1 of chapter 9 of the Health Insurance Act shall be paid salary for regular working hours in accordance with average hourly earnings as defined in section 9 from the start of pregnancy leave for a continuous period of 40 pregnancy allowance days.

Parental leave pay

A parent who is entitled to parental allowance under subsection 1-3 of section 5 of chapter 9 of the Health Insurance Act shall be paid salary for regular working hours in accordance with average hourly earnings as defined in section 9 from the start of parental leave for the first 36 days of parental allowance.

The payment of salary is conditional on

• the employee being entitled to pregnancy or parental allowance and complying with the rules on obtaining it,
• the employee’s employment relationship having continued without interruption for at least one year at the start of pregnancy or parental leave and
• the employee returning to work after family leave.

If the employee terminates the employment without returning to work after the family leave, the employer shall be entitled to recover the difference between the salary paid for the period of pregnancy or parental leave and the allowances paid for the corresponding period.

The daily working hours for an hourly paid employee with working hours less than 37.5 hours a week are determined so that the working time is calculated according to the average daily working hours during 12 months prior to the parental leave.

Family leaves are with above mentioned exceptions unpaid.

During a childcare leave an employee does not earn annual holiday nor does he accrue other benefits that are determined on the basis of length of employment.

10. Annex 3 Shop steward agreement

Section 5 Job release time and storage space

Job release time table amended such that for 301-500 employees job release time is 22.5 hours.

11. New annex: Minutes in the event of unforeseeable and exceptional circumstances

New annex 11 added to the collective agreement.

Minutes in the event of unforeseeable and exceptional circumstances

In the event of an unforeseeable and exceptional circumstance representing force majeure, an employer may, by way of derogation from the lay-off notice period under the Employment Contracts Act, apply a five-day lay-off notice period. A case of force majeure is considered to be an unforeseeable circumstance that the employer could not have influenced or anticipated by his/her own actions.

The provisions of this protocol may be applied if lay-offs are essential.

The existence of force majeure shall be established together with the shop steward prior to the application of this protocol.

12. Transitional provisions on family leave

The provisions in the collective agreement on new family leave shall apply from 1.4.2023 to those employees covered by the amendments to the Health Insurance Act that came into force on 1.8.2022. If an employee is covered by the rules on family leave in the Health Insurance Act in force on 31.7.2022, the provisions on maternity and paternity leave in force in the employment relationship on 31.3.2023 shall apply.

The new rules on family leave shall not apply retroactively to family leave taken before 1.4.2023, even if the employee is covered by the amendments to the Health Insurance Act that came into force on 1.8.2022.

Example: The due date of the child of a non-birthing parent was 1.10.2022 and the child was born on 1.10.2022, so the employee is covered by the amendments to the Health Insurance Act. In October 2022 he/she took 18 days of parental leave and was paid wages for six (6) days. Based on the amendment to the collective agreement, the employee is not entitled to more paid days on the basis of the said 18 days.

If, however, this employee takes parental leave on the basis of the same child (i.e. gets parental allowance in accordance with Health Insurance Act 9, 5, 1-3) from 1.4.2023, he/ she is entitled to paid days in accordance with the new collective agreement provisions, less the paid days already taken. In practice in the above example 36-6 = 30 days of paid leave would remain.

In respect of adoption leave, the new provisions are applied correspondingly in accordance with the transitional provisions in the Health Insurance Act. Thus the new collective agreement provisions on family leave apply if the date when the child is taken into care is 1.8.2022 or later and the leave is taken from 1.4.2023.

13. Recommendation for enhancing language skills in the property services sector, which employs large numbers of immigrants

Increasing numbers of employees in the property services sector have an immigrant background. There are often situations where there is no common language at the workplace and employees need to enhance their ability in Finnish, Swedish or another common language. The importance of a domestic language, especially Finnish, has become evident because Finnish is still the most common working and service language at workplaces in the sector. Adequate language skills are essential to enable job orientation and safe performance of work tasks. The lack of a common language increases the risk of accidents and is also a stress factor in terms of the social functioning of the working community, job orientation and other working arrangements.

Those who move to Finland for work are not in principle covered by government integration measures, including language training. This is a major financial challenge for a sector that employs large numbers of migrant workers. Even though not all work duties require full command of Finnish, sufficient language skills improve employment and career development possibilities. At the same time they protect against work-related exploitation.

The opportunity to learn a domestic language promotes integration of work migrants to Finland, not just in working life but also in Finnish society. The associations’ objective is to jointly contribute to work migrants having access to publicly financed integration measures, especially language training, and flexible and appropriate language training being available throughout Finland.

The associations recommend that employers support employees with an immigrant background in learning a domestic language, for example by planning shifts to enable language studies and that enhanced language skills are promoted through language learning at work.

The associations further recommend that employers acquaint themselves with and where possible make use of services like työpaikkasuomi training, the aim of which is to promote the ability of workplace staff with a foreign background to cope with everyday work tasks in a domestic language.

14. Evaluation of pay system in collaboration with partners

The property services sector is an evolving sector. The work in the sector is diversifying and employees’ skills requirements are increasing. In the pay system, employees’ wages are determined based on the complexity of the particular job. The property services sector pay system was introduced in 2011. The associations now have over 10 years’ experience of the system.

The associations recognise that the performance of the current system should be evaluated jointly so that the system meets the demands of evolving and changing work roles in the property services sector and the criteria for assessing the skills and performance of employees at workplaces. During the agreement period, the needs to update the assessment of job complexity and to develop the incentive effect of pay, work productivity and the attractiveness of the sector will be investigated and evaluated. In their work the associations will consult the views and experiences of companies and their staff representatives. If necessary, a collaboration project could be prepared in the second period of the agreement period with a possible appropriate partner organisation. The project could make use of experiences and future dialogue from previous working life development projects in the TYÖ2030 programme. The associations will also investigate the possibility of obtaining project funding from working life development organisations or programmes (like TYÖ2030).

15. Working group on reform of the midweek public holiday system

The parties will continue the work of the working group on reforming the midweek public holiday system such that the system takes into account the changes in the sector and the needs of customer companies due to the wider extent of services being provided. The principle of non-discrimination in the Parttime Work Directive will also be taken into account as will similar systems in other service sector collective agreements that generate additional days off and how these affect the calculation of maximum annual working hours.

The parties will jointly assess, using sufficient statistical data and studies, the workability of the current midweek public holiday system and what changes are needed to the system by 31.12.2023. Based on this, alternative models will be prepared for a midweek public holiday system adapted to work in the property services sector. On the basis of the joint proposal of the working group, the collective agreement parties will agree on a midweek public holiday system in the next collective agreement negotiations.

The working group will also examine the necessity and workability of adjustment systems, including the extension of adjustment periods in average weekly working hours systems and the extension of weekly and daily working hours.

The work of the working group will be concluded by 31.12.2024. The revised systems will be taken into use no later than 1.1.2026. The cost impacts will be taken into account when increases for the next agreement period are negotiated for the years 2025 and 2026.

16. Protocol on janitor’s work and cleaners paid on a points-based system

The parties will continue the work of the working group on janitor’s work and cleaners paid on a points-based system. The parties recommend that it is agreed with newly hired janitors and cleaners paid on a points-based system that their employment contracts are covered by the Collective agreement for employees in the property services sector and not the protocol on janitor’s work and cleaners paid on a pointsbased system.

17. Copies of minutes

Two identical copies of these minutes have been produced, one for each contracting party.

18. Checking of minutes

By the signature of the contracting parties, the minutes are deemed to have been checked and approved.

Helsinki, 23 May 2023
REAL ESTATE EMPLOYERS
SERVICE UNION UNITED PAM

Attachment 10  Alternative small companies model

Instead of the analytical competence classification system, the employer may, in companies with no more that 10 regular workers under the collective agreement, categorise jobs based on their overall competence classification into the below pay groups.

Prior to introducing the system, the employer shall negotiate with the shop steward or, where there is no shop steward, with the relevant employees.

Jobs shall be categorised in competence groups based on the following criteria:

A.Jobs that require the mastery of ordinary manual working methods and tools;

B. Jobs that require competence acquired through experience or training and typically the mastery of several working methods, tools and machinery;

C. Jobs that require extensive experience in the sector and further or specialist vocational qualificationlevel competence and typically the mastery of building technology systems or equivalent systems.

Jobs are categorised into pay groups by the employer in cooperation with the shop steward. If there is no elected shop steward, the employees shall elect a representative or representatives among themselves. If no agreement is reached concerning the competence classification, the employer shall decide on the categorisation. If the matter remains unresolved, the normal order of negotiations shall be followed.

On the pay scale, pay groups 2, 3 and 4 form the lowest level, and the pay for this level is determined by group 3.

Pay groups 5, 6 and 7 form the middle level, and the pay for this level is determined by group 6. Pay groups 8, 9 and 10 form the upper level, and the pay for this level is determined by group 9.

Attachment 11  Minutes in the event of unforeseeable and exceptional circumstances

In the event of an unforeseeable and exceptional circumstance representing force majeure, an employer may, by way of derogation from the lay-off notice period under the Employment Contracts Act, apply a five-day lay-off notice period. A case of force majeure is considered to be an unforeseeable circumstance that the employer could not have influenced or anticipated by his/her own actions.

The provisions of this protocol may be applied if lay-offs are essential.

The existence of force majeure shall be established together with the shop steward prior to the application of this protocol.