What Are The Public Holidays in Finland in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Finland (2026)

Finland has a clear set of nationwide public holidays that apply uniformly across the country. Use the table below to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Finnish team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Finnish law employees are generally entitled to a paid day off on public holidays when those holidays fall on a day that would otherwise be a regular working day for them. The main rules come from the Finnish Working Hours Act and relevant collective agreements, which are widely applied across sectors.

If a public holiday falls on a day when an employee is not normally scheduled to work, there is usually no separate holiday pay obligation for that day. For part‑time staff, entitlement is typically proportional: if the holiday falls on a contracted working day, they are paid as if they had worked their normal hours, subject to the applicable collective agreement.

When employees are required to work on a public holiday, they must receive both their normal pay for the hours worked and a statutory or collectively agreed premium for holiday work. In many sectors, this premium is at least 100% of the normal hourly wage for hours worked on a public holiday, but you should always check the binding collective agreement for your industry, as some provide even higher enhancements or compensatory time off.

Finland does not have regional public holidays that differ by municipality or region for employment law purposes, so the same national holiday framework applies to your Finnish employees regardless of where they work in the country. However, collective agreements and company policies can grant additional paid days off or more generous treatment of holiday eves, so you should review your local contracts and HR policies carefully.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

If your company fails to respect public holiday rules in Finland, you risk both financial and reputational consequences. The Regional State Administrative Agencies and the Occupational Safety and Health authorities supervise compliance with working time and holiday rules, and they can investigate complaints from employees or trade unions.

Non‑compliance can lead to orders to correct practices, administrative sanctions, and, in serious or intentional cases, criminal liability for working hours offences. Employers can be required to pay retroactive wages, holiday premiums, and possible damages to affected employees. Interest on late payments may also apply, and disputes are often supported by strong union representation, which increases the likelihood that underpayments will be challenged.

Common mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid for employees who would normally work that day, failing to pay the correct premium for holiday work, misclassifying holiday eves such as Midsummer Eve or Christmas Eve contrary to the applicable collective agreement, and not recording working hours accurately on public holidays. Keeping clear working time records and aligning your internal policies with the relevant Finnish collective agreement is essential to avoid these risks.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Finland interact closely with working time and overtime calculations. Under the Working Hours Act, overtime is generally calculated based on agreed regular working hours, and hours worked on a public holiday can count toward both daily and weekly overtime thresholds.

If an employee works on a public holiday, you typically owe two separate elements: the holiday work premium (for working on the holiday itself) and any overtime premium if the total hours exceed the normal daily or weekly limits. These are cumulative, not alternatives. For example, if an employee covered by a standard collective agreement works extra hours on a public holiday, they may be entitled to both a 100% holiday premium and an additional overtime premium on top of their base pay, depending on the agreement.

Many Finnish collective agreements also treat certain holiday eves as shortened working days, which lowers the threshold for when overtime starts on those days. Because the exact thresholds and premium percentages are set in sector‑specific agreements, the safest approach is to confirm the applicable collective agreement for each Finnish employee and configure your time‑tracking and payroll systems accordingly.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Finland's public holidays and leave rules doesn’t have to be complex. Playroll keeps you 100% compliant by automatically tracking local holidays, observed days, and pay requirements –  so your team is paid correctly and on time, every time.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, Playroll lets you employ talent without setting up a local entity. We handle compliant contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform, so you can reduce compliance risk and focus on growing your business while we take care of the heavy-lifting in the background. Book a chat with our team to get started.