lomaaika

Lomaaika is a Finnish term referring to the period when an employee takes annual paid leave. It is the time allocated for rest from work, traditionally aligned with the summer months, but it can occur at other times by agreement.

In Finland, the entitlement and rules governing lomaaika are set out in the Annual Holidays Act (Vuosilomalaki). Holidays accrue during the working year, and employees typically arrange their time off for the following year. The amount of holiday time and the conditions for taking it depend on tenure, employment contracts, and sector-specific collective agreements. Commonly, employees earn a substantial portion of their annual leave year by year, with the exact entitlement varying by workplace.

Scheduling and use are negotiated between employer and employee. Employers may set practical constraints, such as when holidays can be taken, and often prioritize longer leave periods during the summer. During lomaaika, employees are paid at their normal rate, or via holiday pay (lomakorvaus) in certain arrangements, with the aim of compensating for the time off.

Carryover and termination rules also apply. Unused holidays can sometimes be carried over to the next holiday year, depending on law and agreements, but many agreements require that leave be taken within a specified period. Upon termination of employment, unused holidays are typically compensated as holiday pay.

Lomaaika is a central concept in Finnish labor practice, reflecting the right to paid rest and the structure of annual holidays within the Finnish employment framework.