Finnish workplace vocabulary & etiquette

A how-to guide to the Finnish employment terms, wage vocabulary and working-culture cues you need to work in Finland — and the exact words that keep coming up in the YKI intermediate exam's workplace scenarios.

Whether you are preparing for the YKI test, moving to Finland for a job, or reading your first työsopimus, this guide walks through the three vocabulary sets that carry most workplace conversations, then covers the etiquette rules that Finnish colleagues take for granted.

1. Finnish salary & pay vocabulary (palkka)

• palkkasalary / wage
  Saan palkkaa kerran kuussa.

  I get a salary once a month.

  Inflection: partitive singular (object of continuous receiving)
• bruttopalkkagross salary — before taxes
  Bruttopalkkani on 3 200 euroa.

  My gross salary is €3,200.

  Inflection: nominative + 1st-person possessive suffix -ni
• nettopalkkanet salary — after taxes
  Nettopalkasta menee vielä ay-maksu.

  The union fee still comes out of the net salary.

  Inflection: elative (-sta = from / out of)
• tuntipalkkahourly wage
  Tuntipalkkani nousi kahdella eurolla.

  My hourly wage went up by two euros.

  Inflection: nominative + possessive -ni
• kuukausipalkkamonthly salary
  Työsopimuksessa lukee kuukausipalkka.

  The employment contract states a monthly salary.

  Inflection: nominative (subject of lukee)
• palkkakuitti / palkkalaskelmapayslip
  Tarkista palkkalaskelmasta, että tunnit täsmäävät.

  Check on the payslip that the hours match.

  Inflection: elative (-sta = from)
• verokorttitax card — issued by Vero
  Toimita verokortti palkanlaskijalle.

  Submit the tax card to payroll.

  Inflection: nominative (object with imperative — accusative form)
• ennakonpidätystax withholding
  Ennakonpidätystä pidätetään joka kuukausi.

  Tax withholding is deducted every month.

  Inflection: partitive (object of passive)
• lomarahaholiday bonus — typically 50% of holiday pay
  Lomarahat maksetaan kesäkuussa.

  Holiday bonuses are paid in June.

  Inflection: nominative plural
• työehtosopimus (TES)collective labour agreement
  Työehtosopimuksessa sovitaan vähimmäispalkasta.

  The minimum wage is agreed in the collective agreement.

  Inflection: inessive (-ssa = in)

2. Working hours & leave in Finland (työaika)

• työaikaworking hours
  Työaikani on 37,5 tuntia viikossa.

  My working hours are 37.5 per week.

  Inflection: nominative + possessive -ni
• kokoaikatyöfull-time work
  Etsin kokoaikatyötä Helsingistä.

  I'm looking for full-time work in Helsinki.

  Inflection: partitive (object of searching)
• osa-aikatyöpart-time work
  Teen osa-aikatyötä opintojen ohella.

  I do part-time work alongside my studies.

  Inflection: partitive (object of ongoing action)
• ylityöovertime
  Ylityöstä maksetaan 50 % korotusta.

  A 50% supplement is paid for overtime.

  Inflection: elative (-sta = for / from)
• liukuva työaikaflexitime
  Meillä on liukuva työaika klo 7–9 välillä.

  We have flexitime between 7 and 9 a.m.

  Inflection: nominative (subject of on)
• etätyöremote work
  Teen etätöitä kahtena päivänä viikossa.

  I do remote work two days a week.

  Inflection: partitive plural (object of tehdä)
• tauko / kahvitaukobreak / coffee break
  Mennään kahvitauolle!

  Let's go on a coffee break!

  Inflection: allative (-lle = onto / to)
• vuosilomaannual leave
  Jään vuosilomalle heinäkuussa.

  I'm going on annual leave in July.

  Inflection: allative (-lle) with jäädä
• sairauslomasick leave
  Olen sairauslomalla perjantaihin asti.

  I'm on sick leave until Friday.

  Inflection: adessive (-lla = on / at)
• vanhempainvapaaparental leave
  Isä pitää vanhempainvapaata neljä kuukautta.

  The father takes four months of parental leave.

  Inflection: partitive (object of pitää)

3. Employment terms in Finland: contracts & customs

• työsopimusemployment contract
  Allekirjoitin työsopimuksen eilen.

  I signed the employment contract yesterday.

  Inflection: genitive-accusative (completed object)
• koeaikatrial period — usually up to 6 months
  Koeaika kestää kuusi kuukautta.

  The trial period lasts six months.

  Inflection: nominative (subject)
• toistaiseksi voimassa olevapermanent (open-ended)
  Sain toistaiseksi voimassa olevan sopimuksen.

  I got an open-ended contract.

  Inflection: genitive-accusative (agrees with sopimuksen)
• määräaikainenfixed-term
  Tämä on määräaikainen työsuhde.

  This is a fixed-term employment.

  Inflection: nominative (predicative adjective)
• irtisanominentermination / notice
  Irtisanomisesta on ilmoitettava kirjallisesti.

  Termination must be given in writing.

  Inflection: elative (-sta) with ilmoittaa
• irtisanomisaikanotice period
  Irtisanomisaikani on yksi kuukausi.

  My notice period is one month.

  Inflection: nominative + possessive -ni
• työtodistusemployment certificate
  Pyysin työtodistuksen esimieheltäni.

  I asked my supervisor for an employment certificate.

  Inflection: genitive-accusative (completed object)
• ammattiliittotrade union
  Liityin ammattiliittoon viime vuonna.

  I joined the trade union last year.

  Inflection: illative (-Vn = into) with liittyä
• työttömyyskassaunemployment fund
  Kuulun työttömyyskassaan.

  I belong to an unemployment fund.

  Inflection: illative (-Vn) with kuulua
• TE-toimisto / TE-palvelutemployment office
  Ilmoittaudu TE-toimistoon työttömäksi.

  Register as unemployed at the TE office.

  Inflection: illative (-Vn) with ilmoittautua

Finnish workplace etiquette

• Punctuality is respect

  Meetings start on time. Arriving 5 minutes early is normal; arriving late without a message is considered rude.

• Flat hierarchy, first names

  Colleagues — including managers — are addressed by first name. Titles are rarely used in daily conversation.

• Silence is fine

  Pauses in conversation are comfortable and don't need to be filled. Speak when you have something to add.

• Kahvitauko (coffee break) matters

  The 10-15 minute morning and afternoon coffee break is where informal work discussions happen. Joining in helps you integrate.

• Direct, low-key communication

  Finns say what they mean and expect the same. "Ei" (no) is not rude — it is clear. Avoid over-selling or exaggeration.

• Respect vuosiloma

  Summer holiday (usually 4 weeks in July) is protected. Do not expect email replies. Handovers are written down.

YKI workplace vocabulary practice for candidates

The YKI intermediate test (levels 3-4) draws heavily on workplace themes in its reading, listening and writing sections. Expect prompts about answering a job advert, asking about salary, calling in sick, and writing a short message to a manager. Practising the three vocabulary lists above and one dialogue per scenario is the highest-leverage prep you can do for the work-related sections.

Frequently asked questions

What is a työehtosopimus (TES) and why does it matter?

A työehtosopimus is a sector-wide collective labour agreement that sets the minimum wage, working hours, overtime rates, and holiday pay for your field. Finland has no statutory minimum wage — the TES is the floor.

How long is a normal koeaika (trial period)?

Under the Finnish Employment Contracts Act, a trial period can be at most 6 months. During koeaika, either side can end the contract without a notice period, but not on discriminatory grounds.

What does lomaraha mean on my payslip?

Lomaraha (holiday bonus, sometimes called lomaltapaluuraha) is an extra payment typically equal to 50% of your holiday pay. It is set by the applicable TES, not by law, so not every employee receives it.

Do I need to join an ammattiliitto (trade union)?

Membership is voluntary, but common: many Finns join both a trade union and a työttömyyskassa (unemployment fund) that pays earnings-related unemployment benefit. You can join the fund without joining a union.

Which of these terms appear in the YKI test?

The YKI intermediate (level 3-4) reading, listening, and writing sections regularly use työsopimus, palkka, työaika, vuosiloma, irtisanominen and TE-toimisto in realistic workplace scenarios.