Is Easter Day a paid holiday?
Easter Day (Easter Sunday) is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. In Finland it is an official church holiday, but it always falls on a Sunday. That is why the question “is Easter Day a paid holiday?” works out in practice much like any other Sunday: it depends on whether you normally work on Sundays and on what your employment contract or collective agreement (TES) says.
Who gets Easter Day as a paid day off?
Most employees do not work on Sundays, so for them Easter Day does not raise a separate pay question: it is a day off like any other Sunday, and a monthly salary is not reduced because of it. If your work regularly includes Sunday or public holiday shifts (for example in retail, care work or restaurants), work done on Easter Day is usually paid at an increased rate: the Working Hours Act and most collective agreements require Sunday work compensation, and in many collective agreements church holidays raise the compensation even above the normal Sunday rate.
The employment contract and collective agreement decide the details
The exact rules, such as compensation percentages and whether the work also earns a day off in lieu, vary by sector and collective agreement. Where there is no collective agreement, the matter is settled in the employment contract or by the employer’s practices. It is therefore always worth checking your own employment contract or collective agreement, or asking your employer or shop steward.
Other public holidays in Finland
In addition to Easter Day, Finland has several other official public and church holidays, to which the same principles for Sunday and holiday work apply when they fall on a weekday:
- New Year’s Day
- Epiphany
- Easter Monday
- May Day
- Ascension Day
- Midsummer Day
- Independence Day
- Christmas Day
Celebrating Easter
Easter Day is an important holiday for many Finns, spent with family and loved ones. Traditions associated with it include painting Easter eggs, preparing Easter food and going to church.
More information about Sunday and holiday work and public holidays can be found on the website of the Finnish occupational safety and health administration (Työsuojelu).
