Employment related legal services

Your ASIA labour law advisor is only a phone call away, and is ready to guide you in all questions and difficulties that arise in relations with your employer. Legal advice is included in ASIA membership.

Legal issues related to employment and service relationships, such as:

• making and interpreting an employment contract
• the impact of collective agreements
• grounds for terminating employment and investigating whether they are lawful
• non-disclosure and restraint of trade clauses
• reimbursement of travelling expenses
• annual holiday and working time questions
• study leave and job alternation leave
• guidance when leaving to work abroad

Along with wide counseling over the phone, our employment legal services for ASIA members also include going through documents, preparing statement of claims as well as participating in conciliation negotiations. On a case-by-case base, our lawyers at ASIA will assess and determine the needed and reasonable procedures and schedule.

Lawyers serve members of the ASIA free of charge on weekdays from 8.30 am to 12 noon without an appointment. You can find our contact information here.

Guides and instructions

• Employment Relationship Guide (2024)
• Improve your salary - support for discussing salaries
• Employment contract model
• Director Employment Agreement – Template (2021)
• Managing Director Agreement Template, (2021)

Dismissal and other disputes with an employer

Employees who have been fired often need advice from a qualified lawyer - urgently. A lawyer who is well versed in employment questions will be able to determine whether a dismissal is justified, either on grounds of redundancy or because of employee misconduct.

Members of ASIA can turn to their union for help in negotiating. When necessary a lawyer from ASIA will negotiate with a representative of the employer or the employer's federation with a view to reaching some amicable settlement.

Are you a new member?

Concerning dispute cases, all our legal services include going through documents, requests for clarification, statement of claims and conciliation negotiations. This requires that the dispute has arisen during the membership. Please note, that members joining ASIA from other unions are entitled to use our legal services instantly. You are entitled to get legal advice from the first day of the membership.

Need something else than advices? Become ASIA member today and take advantage of all our legal services for dispute cases as soon as there is a need for that.  

Not a member yet? Read more about ASIA membership >>

 

Legal proceedings

As a member of ASIA, in cases where legal action is necessary, you have the right to legal aid.

If the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation, members have the option to seek legal aid from ASIA to have their employment-related matter resolved in court. If legal aid is granted, the work of ASIA’s own lawyers is free of charge for the member. 

Additionally, ASIA covers the following costs on behalf of its members:

• Court fees related to handling the dispute
• Witness fees
• Travel expenses for the attorney and witnesses
• Other immediate costs approved by the lawyer handling the case

Personal expenses and time spent by the member on the matter are not reimbursed.

If the case is lost, any court-ordered costs of the opposing party are also covered, exceeding the deductible, up to a maximum amount. The deductible is 15 percent, and the maximum amount to be covered is 17.000 euros per dispute.

Legal aid can be provided under the following conditions:

• The member seeking legal assistance has been a member of ASIA for at least six months before the event causing the dispute. The waiting period does not apply if the member has transferred directly from another trade union, provided they were a member of the previous union for at least six months before the event causing the dispute.
• Membership is valid during the assignment, and membership fees have been paid.
• The interest in the case is not minor, and the disagreement is not insignificant.
• The member has not refused a settlement recommended by ASIA before or during the process.
• The claims must comply with Finnish law and be provable.
• The legal forum must be in Finland, and the applicable law in the dispute must be Finnish law.
• The member has likely not been treated in accordance with the law or agreements.

ASIA may also decide to provide legal assistance in other situations, where there may be a deductible and/or maximum amount for the member’s own legal costs, and the deductible for covering the opposing party’s costs may be higher and/or the maximum amount lower than mentioned above.

Employment contract

A written employment contract specifies many things that might seem obvious to the parties, but the document should always be prepared with care and shown to a ASIA legal advisor for checking where necessary.

Our lawyers can be reached on weekdays without an appointment. You can find our contact information in here.