palkkatyön

Palkkatyö is the Finnish term for paid employment. It refers to work performed under an employment relationship in which the worker receives wages or salary in exchange for services. In a palkkatyö, the employer supervises and directs the work, and the worker commits to the employer for a defined or indefinite period. Palkkatyö is typically formalized through an employment contract (työsopimus) and governed by Finnish labor law and, where applicable, collective agreements. The arrangement usually includes legal rights and obligations, such as paid holidays, sick leave, social security contributions, tax withholding, and eligibility for unemployment insurance.

Forms of palkkatyö include full-time, part-time, permanent positions and fixed-term contracts, as well as seasonal or temporary assignments. It may also involve temporary agency work, depending on the contract. Palkkatyö contrasts with other forms of work, such as entrepreneurship and unpaid or family work, where the worker is not under direct employer supervision or does not receive wages.

In Finland, the term covers most of the workforce and is the standard model for formal work. Debates around palkkatyö often focus on working conditions, wage levels, flexibility, and the balance between job security and labor market flexibility, as well as the protection of workers in non-standard forms of palkkatyö, such as part-time or fixed-term arrangements. Palkkatyön status is central to tax and social security systems, as the employer withholds income tax and pays social security contributions on behalf of the employee. In grammatical usage, palkkatyön is the genitive form of palkkatyö and appears in phrases such as palkkatyön ehtoja.