Action plan against labour exploitation

Goals and results

An action plan against work-related exploitation will be drawn up.

According to the Government Programme, sanctions for abuse of employees will be significantly tightened and enforcement intensified, and at least the following reforms will be implemented:
• The punishability of exploitation in working life will be increased by replacing the current section on extortionate work discrimination by extortion in working life and aggravated extortion in working life. The minimum punishment for the aggravated acts is imprisonment. Legislation will be amended so that, in addition to punishment, the perpetrator may be prohibited from engaging in business operations for the above-mentioned offences. Extend corporate criminal liability to extortion and aggravated extortion in working life.
• Occupational safety and health inspections are directed in accordance with risk analyses to areas where the need for protection is greatest. Inspectors are guaranteed adequate interpretation services or aids.
• Opportunities for cooperation between the authorities will be improved, for example, by ensuring the right to obtain information and to provide information between the authorities on their own initiative. The necessary legislative and other measures will be launched to develop the exchange of information between the authorities so as to make the prevention of exploitation more effective and to inform the competent authorities of abuses.
• Opportunities to disguise employment relationships as business activities will be reduced by creating an obligation for invoicing service companies to register and an obligation to identify their customers when they register using strong identification technology.

The implementation of the action plan against work-related exploitation will be monitored during the government term.

Starting points

One of the key objectives of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government Programme is to strengthen the labour market. As part of this objective, international recruitment to Finland will be promoted in a targeted manner, while actively and proactively intervening in abuses in the labour market. The sustainable development of work-based immigration requires that the exploitation of foreign labour is prevented and tackled effectively.

The action plan was adopted in February 2024. It is based on the Government resolution on a strategy for preventing and combating work-related exploitation and its five strategic objectives.

Additional information

• Työperäisen hyväksikäytön vastainen toimenpideohjelma
• Åtgärdsprogram mot arbetsrelaterat utnyttjande
• Action plan against labour exploitation