WORKING CONDITIONS

Work permit or “professional” status
In Finland, the work permit does not exist, nor professional status for artists in general. Being artist is based on personal own announcement and working/earning income from an artistic profession.

Health care system
There is a public health care system based on residence in Finland. In addition, the Health Insurance Act provides compensations for the cost of private health services and for the cost of medicines prescribed by a doctor.

Private healthcare systems
There are private health insurances and artists have access to them.

Administrative inspections
Administrative inspections of working conditions are established in the Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life (477/2001); the Occupational Health Care Act (1383/2001); the Act on the Supervision of Occupational Safety and Health; and the Appeal in Occupational Safety and Health Matters (131/1973); Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces (44/2006).

Inspections are made to control that employers and other parties concerned comply with the obligations imposed on them in legislation, e.g. as regards occupational safety.
The regular inspection looks into:
• working time accounting and overtime, annual leave accounting
• matters relating to occupational health care
• accidents at work, sick leaves and occupational diseases
• statutory administrative duties (survey of risks, industrial safety action programme)
• administrative procedures relating to safety
• matters specifically relating to the workplace inspected, such as staff facilities, structures in the work environment, physical and other harm factors, safety of tools and equipment, first aid, work loads and ventilation)
• other matters raised by the workplace representatives.

Governmental bodies in charge of labour inspections
The Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorates are responsible for administrative inspections.

Penalties
If the provisions of occupational legislation or the criminal code are violated and the matter comes before a court, the common penalty is a fine.
If the occupational protection authorities find shortcomings, the employer is instructed or cautioned to rectify the situation. Where necessary, the authorities may issue a decision obligating the employer to take action.
Dangerous work can also be suspended or terminated.

SOCIAL WELFARE

Insurance schemes
In regard to insurance schemes, artists are treated as other wage earners/entrepreneurs. The state social security system (administered by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) covers cases of illness, maternity, disability and retirement.
If an artist have a status of a wage-earner or an entrepreneur he/she is covered under the Earnings-Related Pension Scheme, Unemployment Insurance Scheme and the Insurance Scheme covering Accidents at work and Occupational diseases.

The artists’ supplementary pension system is directed to artists over 60 years. The pension is awarded by application and it is a taxable income. The full pension is € 1 199 (in 2008) and it can be granted also as a half pension depending on applicants' other income.
The pension is granted by the Ministry of Education by the proposition of Central Arts Council. The total number of artists receiving supplementary pension is well over 1 000 (in 2007).

The social coverage is compulsory, except the Insurance Scheme for Accidents at work for entrepreneurs.

Complementary insurance schemes
In addition to insurance offered by the social security system, artists, like other wage earners/entrepreneurs, can have private personal insurances. There is also a system of artist pensions of state. 35 artist pensions are awarded annually by application. For artists in theatres, there is a Stage people's Aging Security Foundation (Nâyttâmdvâen vanhuudenturvasââtid).

From 1 January 2009, artists who have received working grants are entitled to social security based on their income.

Administration of contributions
Social Insurance Institution of Finland administers the payment of benefits provided by the residence-based social security system. Private pension institutions administer the payment of the earnings-related pensions and benefits paid for work accidents and occupational diseases.
Private insurance companies administer payments of private insurance benefits.


REMUNERATION

The minimum level of payment
In relation to payments, artists are treated as other wage earners. In Finland there is no law for minimum wage but minimum wage exists in practice based on minimum wage recommendations given by labour unions and unemployment compensations.
From 1 January 2008 onwards, a calculated minimum wage is € 980,40 per month, € 45,60 per day or € 5,70 per hour.

Artists are paid directly by employer in cases they work as employees.


UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment insurance scheme
Concerning unemployment benefits, artists have the same rights as other citizens. The artist has right to unemployment benefits when he/she has the status of a wage-earner, as e. g. in the case of performing artists who have a permanent engagement, or designers who work as employees in the field of industry. There are different kinds of payments depending on whether a person is entitled for an earnings-related benefit or not. Self-employed artists cannot always register for unemployment benefits. When a freelancer or a self-employed artist is classified by the authorities as an entrepreneur, he/she does not have the right to unemployment benefits.
Since this has caused problems during the years, new guidelines on the artists' right to unemployment benefits have recently been adopted (April 2008).

Benefits paid in respect of unemployment include:
• training subsidy for persons whose employment office has directed them to a labour market retraining course
• training allowance
• unemployment allowance (basic or earnings-related) for persons who on becoming unemployed meet the condition regarding previous employment (see below)
• labour market subsidy for persons who do not qualify for unemployment allowance
• unemployment pension for the long-term unemployed aged 60 or over
• pension assistance for long-term unemployed born in 1941-1947
In order to qualify for unemployment allowance, unemployed persons must satisfy a condition relating to the length of their previous employment. After a specified waiting period, unemployed persons who meet this condition can get unemployment allowance in the form of either a basic allowance (from Social Insurance Institution) or an earnings-related allowance (from an unemployment fund). Unemployed persons who do not satisfy the employment condition or have received unemployment allowance for the maximum period can get labour market subsidy from Social Insurance Institution.
Administration of the unemployment insurance scheme
Unemployment security is usually administered by the trade unions and/or by public authorities. The Federation of Special Service and Clerical Employees ERTO and the Performing Artists Unemployment Fund administer majority of unemployment funds for Finnish artists.
Unemployment benefits are paid by the Social Insurance Institution or by an unemployment insurance fund.


Source: Ministry of Education of Finland, October 2008.



Standard-Setting instruments:

• Ordinance n° 1510 of 1995
  
• Act n° 14 of 2004 on merger of the pension fund
  
• Act n° 16 of 2004 to amend section 2 of the Act respecting pension for artists and special groups of employees (n° 662 of 1985)
  
• Act n° 636 of 2003 to amend the Act respecting pensions for performers and special groups of workers (n° 662 of 1985)
  
• Decision of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Health (28.04.1987)
  
• Act respecting pensions for certain performers and editors who are parties to an employment relationship (26.07.1985)
  

Useful links:

• Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM)
• Eläketurvakeskus - ETK (The Central Pension Security Institute)