While the law does not require written resignation, it is strongly recommended to give notice in writing to avoid disputes. A written resignation can be delivered personally, by mail, or electronically.

• An employee may end their employment at any time without needing to provide a reason. However, unless a collective agreement or individual contract specifies otherwise, the following notice periods apply upon resignation:

  • 14 days for employment lasting up to five years

  • One month for employment exceeding five years

• Failure to provide proper notice may result in the loss of compensation.

There is no statutory severance pay or gratuity when an employee resigns voluntarily.

• All accrued but unused annual holiday must be compensated with holiday pay.

• All unpaid salary, bonuses (if contractually due), and other earned compensation must be paid by the agreed salary payment schedule or by the last working day.

• Delay in final payment can entitle the employee to compensation for late payment as per employment law.

• The employer may terminate for “proper and weighty reason(s)” related to the employee (personal grounds) or for financial/production‐related (collective) grounds.

  • Personal grounds include serious or repeated breach of contractual duties, gross negligence, misconduct (e.g. theft, breach of confidentiality, misuse of intoxicants, refusal of tasks), serious incapacity to perform duties.

  • Financial/production grounds include reorganizations, diminished work requiring reductions (not possible under the EOR setup).

• Cancellation (i.e. termination without notice) is only allowed in very serious cases (“extremely weighty cause”), where it is unreasonable to require the employer to continue employment even through the notice period.

Termination by the employer must be delivered in writing.

For terminations with notice (i.e. not cancellation), the employer must respect statutory notice periods (unless contract or collective agreement gives longer). An employer may dismiss an employee without notice if the employee commits a serious breach of the employment contract. This immediate termination must occur within two weeks of the employer learning about the violation.

There is no general statutory severance or gratuity due just because of cause termination.

• Accrued salary

• Holiday pay

• Unpaid bonuses or allowances due

• Final pay

In Finland, mutual termination agreements are a common and legally recognized method for ending an employment relationship. These agreements are typically negotiated between the employer and employee and must comply with the Finnish Employment Contracts Act and any applicable collective agreements.

The mutual termination agreement should be documented in writing and signed by both parties.

Both parties decide the notice period in a mutual termination agreement. They can set it shorter or longer than the statutory period based on what they negotiate.

Finnish law does not mandate severance pay upon termination. However, some collective agreements or individual employment contracts may provide for severance or gratuity payments.

• Unused annual leave

• Final salary

• There is no statutory requirement to give notice when a fixed-term contract expires naturally on its agreed end date. The contract ends automatically.
• However, if the contract includes a clause that requires notice before the end date, that clause applies.

No statutory severance or gratuity is payable when a fixed-term contract ends normally.

• The employee is entitled to payment for any accrued but unused annual leave.
• All wages, bonuses, and other earned benefits must be paid up to the contract’s end date.
• If the fixed-term contract has lasted at least one year, the employee may be entitled to unemployment benefits, provided they meet other criteria.

• Early termination of a fixed-term contract is allowed only when the contract or collective agreement explicitly permits it, or when the employee seriously breaches their contractual obligations.
• If early termination is permitted, the employer must give the notice period specified in the contract or, if none is specified, a reasonable notice period based on the circumstances.
• If the contract or law does not permit early termination, the employer risks breaching the contract and may be liable for damages.

No statutory severance unless specified in contract or collective agreement.

• The employee must be paid for all work done and accrued benefits up to the termination date.
• Compensation for unused annual leave must be paid.
• If early termination is due to serious employee fault, benefits may be adjusted accordingly.

The employer must pay all final wages, including accrued holiday pay and any other outstanding compensation, on the employee’s last working day or as soon as possible after it. Any delay may violate employment law and expose the employer to claims or penalties.

If the employer delays the final payment without a valid reason, the employee can claim compensation for the delay. The Finnish Employment Contracts Act also allows employees to seek damages when wages are paid late. Repeated or intentional delays may prompt enforcement action from labor authorities and result in fines.