Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140) - Finland (Ratification: 1992)

The Committee notes the Government’s comprehensive report in which it indicates that a tripartite working group of the Ministry of Employment and Economy started working on an overall reform of the Study Leave Act in 2011. A special goal is to assess the prerequisites for a right to absence from work and the legal status of the absentee. Another goal is to ascertain how employers might be encouraged to participate more in the forward-looking implementation of professional training together with personnel according to goals that are jointly set. The Committee takes note that the Adult Education Subsidy Act, which grants economic support during paid educational leave, was amended in 2010. An employee now has the right to adult education subsidy for a total of 18 months after the employee has been at work for a total of eight years of which at least a year is in the service of the present employer. This adult education subsidy can be used at one time or in several parts. In addition, the amount of the adult education subsidy was raised. In its report, the Government provides detailed information that shows that the number of adult education subsidy recipients increased from 7,750 in 2008 to 11,104 in 2011, and that the total amount of cash benefit has more than doubled from 2008 to 2011. The Government also draws attention to a joint statement made by the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland (AKAVA) and the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (STTK) which indicates that the basic part of adult education subsidy is paid by the State, and that the income-linked part is paid by the Education Fund, which is a fund that is administered by the labour market organizations. Moreover, the Committee takes note with interest of the Supreme Court decision of 2012, referred to by the Government, which obligated an employer who violated the provisions of the Study Leave Act to compensate for the loss of the right to adult education support of the employee. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the measures envisaged or adopted to contribute to the attainment of the objectives set out in Article 3 of the Convention, as well as on the manner in which the national policy on paid educational leave is coordinated with general policies concerning employment, education and training (Article 4).