What are work hours?

Lunch break

A meal break can be either work time or personal time. If an employee is allowed to leave the workplace during the meal break, it is not considered work time but rather personal time. Otherwise, the break is considered work time. In shift work, meals are eaten during work hours.

Commute

The commute is not considered working hours, unless the journey is also considered as part of the work performance or it involves traveling from one workplace to another during the work day, as is the case in home care. Traveling to the workplace for the first time and returning home after the work day is not considered working time.

Travel time is considered working time when the supervisor instructs the employee to travel from the starting point to the place of work and back. More detailed regulations on travel times can be found in collective agreements.

Training

Training time is counted as working hours if the training is organized during the scheduled working hours according to the work schedule.

Training may not necessarily count as working hours, even if the employer pays a salary for the time spent in training. It is always worth separately clarifying whether the time spent on training provided by the employer is considered as working hours. Instructions for this can be found on the employer’s intranet.

Healthcare examinations and check-ups

The time spent on health examinations and check-ups can be counted as working hours in certain cases. The rules vary depending on the collective agreement.

Standby

Standby time is not counted as working time. Standby means that the employee commits to being available to the employer if needed during their free time. A separate compensation is paid for standby time. Standby time becomes working time when work is started.