Please note: A new version of the Finnish Working Hours Act entered into force on 1 January 2020. The information on this webpage is based on provisions that have now been repealed. You can find the content according to the new Act here.

Night work notices and exemptions

Night work constitutes any work performed between the hours of 11.00 pm and 6.00 am. Employers can only require their employees to work nights in the circumstances listed in section 26 of the Finnish Working Hours Act. The list is exhaustive.

However, collective agreements can contain provisions concerning the distribution of working hours that either limit or expand the list of circumstances in which night work is permitted.

Employees’ consent to night work does not need to be sought except in specific circumstances, such as to enable urgent sowing or harvesting, to attend to parturient or sick farm animals and, to a certain extent, in bakeries.

Notification obligations

Occupational safety and health authorities can ask employers to notify them of any regular night work schedules.

Permits for derogating from night work regulations

Occupational safety and health authorities can permit employers to require their employees to work nights where the technical nature of the work or other specific reasons make it necessary, subject to conditions specified by the authorities.

Permission to derogate from night work regulations can be sought, for example, if an employee whose job is not included in the aforementioned list has to work nights on an occasional basis only or if they are only needed for a short period at night-time.

Applying for exemptions

Exemptions from the rules on night work can be sought by sending a written application to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southwestern Finland. See here for contact information.

Form (pdf, in Finnish): Night work permit application