This images shows the number of
applications the unemployment fund received each day in September. The goal is
for the processing times to remain consistent, but the application peaks that
take place at the turn of the month are reflected in the expected processing
times. Our number of employees remains the same throughout the month, even
though there is fluctuation in the number of applications received. So, the
processing time of an application received at the beginning of a month will be
longer than of an application submitted mid-month.

Just like at the turn of a month, summer is
another time for a high volume of applications. But summer is also the time for
annual holidays. We do hire temporary workforce each summer to keep all our
offices working. Every summer, we direct our efforts to processing applications
and cut back our telephone services. However, the processing times still remain
longer than during winter months. 

Can I influence the processing time of my
application? Most importantly, you must ensure that all the required
information has been filled out in the application and all the needed
attachments are enclosed. The submission time of the application is, however,
even more important. If we receive an application at the beginning of a month
without all the required attachments, we will not process it before all attachments
have been received. Each application that is received must still be reviewed to
see, if a decision can be made, before it is put aside to wait for the missing
information. In a case like this, it is a good idea to think over whether or
not to submit the application at all before all the attachments can be sent to
us.

Marjaana Maisonlahti
Fund manager