If you fall ill

If your employment has continued for more than a month before you fall ill, you will receive full salary for at least the day you fell ill and for nine days after the day you fell ill. If you are unable to return to work after these ten days, you can apply for sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) from Kela, if you are covered by the Finnish social security.

Read more on the InfoFinland page Finnish social security.

Your employment contract may also list other conditions and you will be paid salary for a longer period of time.

Your employer is entitled to ask you to provide a doctor’s certificate about your illness. If you fall ill and cannot come to work, notify your supervisor of this immediately. Your supervisor will tell you whether you need to get a doctor’s certificate immediately or only on the fourth day of your sick leave.

Sick leave is not a vacation. It is granted so that your body can heal, so during sick leave you cannot endanger the healing process through your own activities.

When a child under 10 years of age suddenly falls ill, the child’s mother or father can stay at home to look after him/her. This type of temporary child care leave can last for up to four days. The collective bargaining agreement states whether or not salary will be paid for this period.

Read more: Children’s health.

Vocational rehabilitation can help you to choose a profession, find a job, remain in employment or return to work despite your illness.

You can apply for vocational rehabilitation from Kela if you are entitled to Finnish social security and meet one of the following conditions:

• you are unemployed
• you are a student
• you have only been working for a short time.

Kela’s vocational rehabilitation can be, for example, support for future planning or life management, aids, training try-out or support for starting a business. Read more on the Kela website.

If you have been in employment for five years or more, you can apply for vocational rehabilitation from your employment pension institution. Ask for more information at your employment pension institution.

When you apply for rehabilitation, you first need a medical statement. Contact your local health centre.

A young person aged 16 to 29 can apply for vocational rehabilitation, such as NUOTTI coaching, even without a medical statement. 

Rehabilitation for various illnesses

Kela organises rehabilitation and adaptation training courses for children and adults with various illnesses and disabilities. The courses are group rehabilitation, and they help to adapt to life with an illness. When you apply for rehabilitation, you first need a medical statement.