Changes to the suspension period
News
Topics
- Income security
- Law change
On 1.3.2026, a legislative amendment came into force, introducing changes to the periods without unemployment benefits, known as suspension periods. The changes both tighten and relax the suspension periods. Overall, the situation has become slightly clearer than before.
The changes that came into effect at the beginning of March concern the suspension periods that employment authorities can impose as a result of reprehensible conduct related to job seeking and employment services. Reprehensible conduct means that you do not act in the manner required by the employment authority or, for example, deliberately cause your job search to fail.
The aim is to provide smoother service and emphasize responsibility
The changes to the suspension periods are part of a broader proposal aimed at streamlining the service process for job seekers. The proposal is linked to the government program, which aims to make social security more encouraging and binding. According to the government proposal, the aim of the changes to unemployment security sanctions, i.e. suspension periods, is to clarify and simplify the sanctions and to strengthen the guiding effect on job seekers’ job search, their participation in the service process organized for them, and their participation in other services that support job seeking and employment.
The most significant change
The most significant change is that the previous four-stage system has been replaced by a two-stage system. Following the amendment to the law, the employment authority can impose a seven-day suspension for a first offense, and a work obligation can be imposed for a second offense. The obligation to work means that you must work or participate in services for a specified period of time in order to regain your entitlement to earnings-related daily allowance after the sanction.
Not just stricter
The change does not just tighten the restrictions on job seeking and employment services. The previous four-stage system included a 14-day suspension period. This will be completely eliminated. Under the new law, the work obligation for a second violation will be six weeks, compared to 12 weeks previously.
Read more
Read more about suspension periods in our knowledge bank. The link opens in the same tab.
You can also read the government proposal on the Parliament website. The link opens in a new tab.