Working Days – Finland
Finland has approximately 11 official public holidays each year, as well as several days widely observed as non-working days, such as Christmas Eve and Midsummer's Eve. From a payroll perspective, the key concept is a weekday public holiday (arkipyhä), which refers to a public holiday falling on a working day. Since Finland does not have a substitute day-off system, a public holiday falling on a weekend does not entitle an employee to a compensatory day off.
Annual summary
| Other year | Working days | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 251 | |
| 2026 | 252 | |
| 2027 | 253 | |
| 2028 | 251 |
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Frequently asked questions
What does a weekday public holiday mean and how does it affect salary payment?
A weekday public holiday (arkipyhä) refers to an official public holiday that falls on a weekday from Monday to Friday. Weekday public holidays reduce an employee's regular working hours in that week. For salaried employees, full salary is paid despite the weekday public holiday. For hourly-paid employees, the procedure is generally determined by the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
Are Christmas Eve or Midsummer's Eve official public holidays in Finland?
Christmas Eve (24.12.) and Midsummer's Eve are not official public holidays under Finnish law, but in practice they are almost invariably non-working days. In most collective bargaining agreements, these eves are explicitly listed as days off or shortened working days. HR professionals should always verify the situation in the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
How does the timing of Midsummer's Day and All Saints' Day vary from year to year?
Under Finnish law, Midsummer's Day (juhannus) is always a Saturday between June 20-26, and All Saints' Day is always a Saturday between October 31 and November 6. Because these public holidays always fall on Saturday, they have no practical impact on the number of working days. In payroll calculations, their significance is mainly relevant if the company operates on weekends.
What happens if a public holiday falls on a weekend - does the employee receive a compensatory day off?
Finland does not have a statutory substitute day-off system, so a public holiday falling on a weekend does not automatically result in compensatory time off. Unlike in some other countries, this entitlement does not arise from legislation alone. However, some collective bargaining agreements may contain different provisions on this matter, so the collective bargaining agreement should always be consulted.
Which public holidays are movable and how are they accounted for in annual workforce planning?
Movable public holidays include particularly Good Friday, Easter Day, Easter Monday, and Ascension Day, the dates of which vary annually according to the Easter calculation formula. Whit Monday is also determined based on Easter. In HR planning, these public holidays should be verified annually in advance, as their position in the week directly affects the number of weekday public holidays and thus shift planning and payroll calculations.