Is Ascension Day a paid day off?

Satunnainen

Ascension Day (in Finnish, helatorstai) is a Christian holiday celebrated 40 days after Easter. In Finland, Ascension Day is an official public holiday, but whether it is a paid day off depends on several factors, such as the employment contract, the collective agreement and the employer’s practices.

Ascension Day and legislation

Finnish legislation defines Ascension Day as a public holiday. This means that it is an official holiday when most public services and many businesses are closed. Labor legislation, however, does not directly stipulate that Ascension Day is a paid day off for all employees.

Collective agreements and Ascension Day

In many sectors, collective agreements (TES) define how public holidays, such as Ascension Day, are handled. Collective agreements often have provisions that guarantee employees a paid day off on public holidays. This means that if the collective agreement covers Ascension Day, the employee will be paid even if he does not work on that day.

  • For example, in the fields of industry and technology industry, collective agreements usually guarantee a paid day off on Ascension Day.
  • In service industries, such as trade, collective agreements can vary, but often they also contain provisions on pay on public holidays.

Employment contracts and employer policies

If the workplace does not have a collective agreement, the employment agreement and the employer’s policies determine whether Ascension Day is a paid holiday. The employer can decide to offer a paid day off on Ascension Day, but this is not a legal obligation.

Summary

Ascension Day is an official holiday in Finland, but its pay depends on collective agreements, employment contracts and employer practices. In many industries, collective agreements guarantee a paid day off on Ascension Day, but this is not a universal practice in all workplaces.

You can read more information about Ascension Day and collective agreements, for example, on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Työsuojeluhallinto) website and from Finlex.

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