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Change your PAM student membership into full membership

When you graduate, your student membership also ends. As soon as you start working, you should join as a full member of the union, because it lets you start accumulating employment requirement and gives you access to all of PAM’s services.

Membership in a trade union is your best security and support in working life. As a full member of PAM, you will receive support for questions about your employment relationships, such as about your salary, work shifts, working hours and holidays.

Being a member lets you accumulate employment requirement

When you become a full member of PAM, you also become a member of the PAM unemployment fund. This means that your livelihood will be secured even if you become unemployed. You can receive an earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiosidonnainen päiväraha) if you meet the employment requirement (työssäoloehto), which means that you have been employed and a full member of PAM for at least 26 weeks. Each calendar week in which you work for at least 18 hours counts as a week for the employment requirement, so long as you also pay membership fees based on your salary.

This is why you should join as a full member immediately when you graduate and start working, or when you start working during your studies.

Read more about the employment requirement and earnings-related unemployment allowance on the unemployment fund’s website.

On the day you join the union, you must have a work shift for which you are paid a salary.

Frequently asked questions

Student membership is free of charge, so it does not include unemployment security or legal aid. To receive unemployment security or legal aid, you must have been employed and a full member for at least 26 weeks. Because of this, it is a good idea to change your student membership to a full membership as soon as you start working.

You should join PAM as a full member when you start a summer job in the service sector or work in the service sector during your studies. You never know what kinds of issues you may face in your workplace, and the union can assist you with questions about matters such as your employment relationship and salary.

As a full member, you can also accumulate the employment requirement for your earnings-related unemployment allowance. You meet the employment requirement once you have been in salaried work for at least 26 calendar weeks. Each calendar week in which you work for at least 18 hours counts as a week for the employment requirement, as long as you also pay membership fees based on your salary. The employment requirement must be fulfilled during a period of 28 months.

Earnings-related unemployment allowance cannot be granted to an applicant who is under 18 years old. However, unemployment benefits can be granted to a jobseeker who is at least 17 years old and has completed their compulsory education, or who has suspended their compulsory education as defined in the Compulsory Education Act.

Read more about the employment requirement and earnings-related unemployment allowance on the unemployment fund’s website.

Read more about why you should join PAM.

No. Your student membership with PAM will automatically end one year after your graduation. When you graduate and start working, you should join as a full member. 

No. Your student membership cannot be automatically changed into a full membership. You must separately join as a full member.

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