Working-hours glossary: key shift-work concepts
A plain-language glossary of shift-work terms. The exact hour and day limits are in the Finnish Working Hours Act and your sector's collective agreement, which we link to.
The concepts in brief
Shift planning keeps coming back to the same concepts. Here they are explained at a general level. The exact limits, exceptions and sector rules come from the Working Hours Act and the collective agreement, which we link to for each term.
Daily rest
The continuous rest between two consecutive shifts. The minimum length and exceptions are set in the Working Hours Act. See Työsuojelu.fi.
Weekly rest
The continuous time off given once a week. Its length and conditions come from the Working Hours Act and the collective agreement. See the Working Hours Act.
Period-based work
A working-time form where regular hours even out over a multi-week period rather than a single week. Common in round-the-clock sectors such as care and security.
Balancing period
The span over which average working time is evened out to the agreed number of hours. Its length depends on the working-time form and the collective agreement.
Time bank
An agreement-based arrangement where working time, earned time off or money is saved and taken or paid later. Read more at Työsuojelu.fi.
Flexitime
A working-time form where the employee can, within agreed limits, influence the start and end of the workday. The conditions are set in the Working Hours Act. See the Working Hours Act.
This glossary explains the concepts in general and is not legal advice. The exact hour and day limits and exceptions are in the Finnish Working Hours Act and your sector's collective agreement.
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