According to the proposal, the working history requirement for job alternation leave would be raised from the current 16 years to 20 years. In 2014, a working history of 10 years was sufficient.
The maximum duration of the leave would be shortened from the current 360 days to 180 calendar days.
In the future, job alternation leave could no longer be split into several periods; the entire leave would have to be taken continuously.
The increased compensation level would be discontinued, and, in future, the alternation compensation would be 70 per cent of the unemployment allowance for all leave takers.
If implemented, the change in legislation would take effect on 1 January 2016.
How would the changes take effect in practice?
The government proposes the following implementing provision.
A job alternation leave that has started by 31 December 2015 would be subject to the current act, which allows the job alternation leave to be split into periods and in which the maximum duration of the leave is 360 days. A working history of 16 years is sufficient. If you have worked for at least 25 years, the compensation could be 80 per cent of the unemployment allowance.
In addition, if the job alternation leave agreement was made before the act takes effect, i.e. by 31 December 2015, and the leave begins by 31 March 2016, the old provisions described above would be applied. Both the requirement for the time of making the agreement and the time of the start of the leave must be met.
Published in Finnish on 30 September 2015.