‘The labour rights of young people should be respected to the same extent as those of more senior employees’ – the free Summer Job Helpline provides assistance for summer employees

Summer Job Advisor Hanna-Marilla Zidan is studying labour law at the University of Helsinki. During the summer, Zidan is looking forward to providing concrete help to young summer employees and clarifying matters of labour law.

“Hopefully employers will strive to offer summer work to as many young people as possible. Over the past two years, the coronavirus situation has, unfortunately, limited the employment opportunities for young people and the possibility to get their first job experience.”

For many young people, a summer job is their first contact with working life, and the experience has the potential to define how they view working life. 

“It is really important to have a free service like this that is open to everyone and is specifically geared to helping with issues related to summer work. It means that summer employees, particularly young people, won’t have to struggle with these issues on their own.

‘During the spring, there has been a lot written about the poor working conditions encountered by young people. The labour rights of young people who are at the start of the work career should be respected to the same extent as those of more senior employees’, Zidan emphasises.

Summer job guidance for young people still in demand

Already for 17 years running, the free Summer Job Helpline has been providing advice and answers to questions posed by young people as well as their families and employers. All the questions are handled confidentially, so there is no need to be shy about asking for advice.

Although working life has changed in many ways over the years, the topics of the questions have remained largely the same. Most questions concern wages and working hours. Issues concerning trial periods and work certificates also come up often.

‘Knowing your own rights and responsibilities is in the interest of both parties involved in the employment relationship.’

Zidan reminds young people that it’s a good idea to ask for the employment contract in writing when agreeing on summer work in order to have an opportunity to read it through thoroughly. 

‘If any term or condition seems unclear, review and discuss the contract carefully to make sure you understand everything before signing it.’

The Summer Job Helpline is open all summer

The Summer Job Helpline opens Monday, 2 May and remains open until 31 August. The Summer Job Advisor can be contacted weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. by phone at +358 (0)800 179 279 or on WhatsApp at +358 (0)40 747 1571. The service also provides an online enquiry form on the website of the Summer Job Helpline. The service provides advice in Finnish, Swedish and English. The service can also be contacted anonymously.

Basic information about summer work can be found on the Summer Job Helpline website. Read through the frequently asked questions before contacting us. It’s also worthwhile to read through our online checklist.