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Employment relationship hotline and legal aid from PAM 

Do you need help with issues concerning wages, working time, annual leave or redundancy? Are there problems at the workplace that you cannot solve on your own? The union representative at the workplace is close at hand and knows your workplace. If there’s not a union representative at your workplace, then PAM’s experts are here to help! 

Last updated: 15.10.2024

The employment relationship hotline is a significant member benefit. PAM offers an employment relationship hotline and legal aid to its members. Always contact the union representative of your workplace in matters related to the employment relationship in the first instance.

We give you help and advice, for example in the following situations:  

  • unpaid wages
  • ambiguities related to the employment contract
  • disagreements
  • inappropriate behavior and harassment in the workplace
  • dismissals
  • vacations, days off, overtime
  • …or any other work-related questions 

What to do in case of problems in an employment relationship?

  1. Find out if you can find an answer to your question or problem in our working life guide.  
  2. Disagreements are best resolved by discussing things calmly. Try to sort out the situation first by talking to your manager.  
  3. If there is a union representative at your workplace, ask him or her for help if necessary. The union representative represents PAM and employees belonging to PAM at the workplace and helps with all issues related to employment. 
  4. If the matter cannot be resolved through negotiation, contact PAM’s employment relationship hotline or visit one of our offices. There are a total of 12 PAM offices around Finland. Our experts are familiar with the twists and turns of employment relationships and will guide you forward.    

What if the problem cannot be solved at the workplace? 

If the situation between the employee and the employer is not resolved with the advice given to the member, the matter will be transferred to PAM’s expert. Such situations are most typically ambiguities related to wrongly paid wages or termination of employment.

PAM’s hotline receives more than 50,000 contacts every year, out of which less than a thousand cannot be resolved through negotiation and are classified as cases of dispute. Every year, less than a hundred cases end up in court.

First, the member is given advice and support to resolve the issue directly with the employer. If the employee’s own negotiations do not lead to any results, PAM will contact the employer. Most disputes are resolved at the latest when they are negotiated together with the representative from the union, the employee and the employer.

If the matter ends up in court, it is possible to get legal aid from PAM.

Legal aid in a dispute  

A PAM member can get legal aid in a dispute related to his or her employment or terms of employment. The condition for receiving legal aid is that the person has been a member of PAM at least six months before the start of the dispute. Membership fees must also be paid for this period. The same conditions apply to members joining PAM from another trade union.

PAM’s legal aid is excellent: it is more extensive than in many other trade unions. In PAM, there is for example no own risk or cap on legal costs. The union also bears the risk related to costs for the trial, i.e. if the case is lost, PAM is responsible for all costs, also for the other party’s legal costs.

PAM’s legal aid is outstanding: it is more extensive than in many other trade unions. In PAM, there is no deductible for legal costs and no ceiling for costs, for example. The union also bears the cost risk related to legal proceedings, i.e. if the case is lost, PAM is responsible for the other party’s legal costs in addition to other costs.

The costs of legal proceedings can easily amount to tens of thousands of euros. When you are a member of PAM, your livelihood is secured against possible problems in the employment relationship. In addition, you can trust that your case will be handled by a lawyer with deep knowledge of the working conditions and disagreements in the private service sector. 

Legal aid is always discretionary. The decision to grant legal aid is made on legal grounds, i.e. the possibility of success is considered first considered. When making a decision, it is investigated whether the law has been broken, and whether enough evidence can be presented about the matter, for example.

In some cases, obtaining a court decision may also be important to resolve a precedent that has broader significance and clarify the interpretation of the law.

Become a member

PAM is your union if you work in the private service sector as a salesperson, cleaner, waiter, cook, security guard or caretaker, for example. We negotiate the terms and conditions of your job.

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