Illness
Everyone regarded as having a permanent home (domicile) in Finland is covered by the Primary Health Care Act (66/1972) and by sickness insurance. Domicile in Finland requires a residence permit lasting for at least one year. A person domiciled in Finland should receive an insurance card from the Social Insurance Institution (called the Kela card), which may be used as evidence of entitlement to social insurance benefits at offices of the Social Insurance Institution, pharmacies and health centres. This also means that employers arrange no separate health insurance for their employees and generally maintain no sickness fund of their own. The employer must be notified as soon as possible when an employee falls ill. While a medical certificate must normally be provided no later than on the third day of illness, some employers require a certificate on the first day.
Finnish law and collective agreements entitle employees to wages during illness. The length of entitlement to sick pay depends on how long the employee has worked for the employer. If this employment has lasted less than one month, then wages are generally paid at half rates during illness. If the illness continues after the employer is no longer obliged to pay wages, then the employee is entitled to sickness benefit from the Social Insurance Institution (Kela). This sickness benefit amounts to about
70 % of the employee's normal wages.
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