Membership in the unemployment fund is worthwhile, because the earnings-related benefit for someone who becomes unemployed after full-time employment is significantly higher than the fixed-rate basic unemployment allowance or labor market subsidy paid by Kela!

Disability and Earnings-Related Unemployment Allowance

Illness during the period of receiving unemployment allowance

Earnings-related unemployment allowance is generally not paid during sick leave. For the period of illness, you should apply for sickness allowance from Kela. Kela’s sickness allowance includes a waiting period. If you were receiving earnings-related unemployment allowance from the unemployment fund immediately before your sick leave began, the fund can pay you unemployment allowance for Kela’s waiting period. If you are ill for individual days, report those days in your unemployment allowance application and specify the exact dates of your sick leave to the fund.

Mark “sick” for the sick leave days in your unemployment allowance application. For any paid sick leave, you must report in the application the working hours for which your employer pays sick leave salary.

Continuation of sick leave after the maximum period of Kela’s sickness allowance

Earnings-related unemployment allowance is generally not paid during sick leave.
However, if you remain unable to work after the maximum period of Kela’s sickness allowance has ended, you may, in certain situations, apply for earnings-related unemployment allowance.

Conditions:

the maximum period of 300 days for Kela’s sickness allowance has been reached
you have registered as unemployed and as a job seeker for full-time work through the public employment authority’s online service — Työmarkkinatori after the end of the maximum period
If your sick leave continues, you have applied for a full disability pension and the application is pending, or you have received a decision for a partial disability pension. Alternatively, you have received a negative pension decision and your employment relationship is no longer valid.
if you have a valid employment relationship, your employer is unable to offer you work that corresponds to your work ability
you also meet the other conditions LINKKI for receiving earnings-related unemployment allowance

If the pension institution grants you a full disability pension or a rehabilitation allowance, you are not entitled to earnings-related unemployment allowance for the same period. You must inform your unemployment fund of the pension decision immediately after receiving it. If the disability pension or rehabilitation allowance is granted partially, it will be deducted from your earnings-related allowance.

If the pension institution rejects your disability pension application on the grounds that you are fit for work and your employment relationship is still valid, you are not entitled to earnings-related unemployment allowance.

If you have agreed to reduce your working hours — that is, your working time has been shortened due to illness by mutual agreement with your employer — you are not entitled to unemployment allowance.

When you apply for earnings-related daily allowance while your sick leave continues, submit the following to your unemployment fund:

an application for the earnings-related daily allowance for at least two weeks retroactively after the end of your entitlement to sickness allowance
A salary certificate issued by your payroll clerk for the last 12 months that meet the employment condition, during which you received full pay. The 12 months do not need to be consecutive, but they must not include any period of partial sickness pay. Holiday pay, holiday compensation, and any unpaid periods must be itemized.
a copy of Kela’s decision confirming that the maximum period for sickness allowance has been reached
information about the period of your sick leave
a notification of a pending disability pension application or a copy of the pension decision
- The unemployment fund cannot assess incapacity for work based solely on a medical certificate; the fund’s decision must be based on a disability assessment made by the pension provider or Kela. The assessment of work capacity is considered valid from the date the pension provider’s decision becomes legally binding.
- if the pension is rejected and you are not considered incapacitated for work, you are not entitled to earnings-related daily allowance if your employment relationship is still valid
you must also submit a written statement from your employer confirming that the employer has no work available that matches your current work capacity