Employment relationship
Seasonal agricultural work and berry picking
On this page you can read about the terms of employment for seasonal workers in agriculture. They concern seasonal work in an employment relationship, for example in berry, fruit and vegetable farms. The terms of employment also apply to the collection of forest berries and other natural products, if the work is carried out in an employment relationship. They also concern support and maintenance staff working at the maintenance station for natural product collectors. This work must comply with the collective agreement for rural industries and labour law.
Often the pickers of wild berries are independent pickers and not employed. Their rights are described on the page Picking of natural products.
Terms of employment for seasonal workers in agriculture
The links below contain the terms of employment for seasonal workers in agriculture in five different languages on the website of the Finnish Industrial Union.
Трудовые условия сезонных работников в сельском хозяйстве (Ukrainian)
Умови роботи сезонного сільськогосподарського працівника (Russian)
Anställningsvillkor för säsongsarbetare inom jordbruke (Swedish)
Maatalouden kausityöntekijän työehdot (Finnish)
Terms of employment for seasonal workers in agriculture
A mobile application describes employment in five languages
The free Hermes application is aimed at agricultural and forestry employees and employers. It describes the rules of the working culture and life in Finland. The content is identical in all five language versions: English, Swedish, Finnish, Ukrainian and Russian.
Collection of wild berries and other natural products
Finnish labour legislation applies to the collection of forest berries and other natural products when the characteristics of an employment relationship are met. You are in an employment relationship if the work is carried out on behalf of the employer based on a contract, under the supervision of the employer, for remuneration or other consideration. The name of the contract does not decide, but the existence of an employment relationship is decided on a case-by-case basis according to the above criteria.
A foreigner may also pick natural products independently under everyman's rights without an employment relationship. This is described on the page Picking of natural products.
Links to other websites
- Exploitation and discrimination against foreign workers. Victim Support Finland.
- Every foreigner has the same rights at work as Finnish citizens. Short animated films about employees’ rights in Finland in 16 languages. Victim Support Finland.
- Working in Finland, brochure in 24 languages. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
- Seasonal work. Finnish Immigration Service.
- Current situation in Ukraine: Residence permits and seasonal work. Finnish Immigration Service.
- Work Help Finland mobile application. Ministry of the Interior.
- Seasonal Work Helpline. Advisory service for seasonal workers. Victim Support Finland.
This website is part of the European Commission's Your Europe portal. Did you find what you were looking for?
The short address for this page is tyosuojelu.fi/seasonal-work