Considerable differences in summer workers’ total pay – check how much your wages are affected by your working conditions
Working life does not always treat workers fairly and there are differences in summer jobs too. An example calculated by PAM shows how quickly inadequate or incorrect wage payments grow into large amounts.
Service Union United PAM resolves 50,000 employment-related queries every year. Most issues have to do with wage claims. A two-month summer job that does not comply with the collective agreement or other regulations can at worst cost employees substantial amounts in missing wages.
Quality counts in employment. Under proper employment conditions you can figure out your working hours, supplements are always paid together with your wages and holiday allowances are paid into your account together with your final wages at the end of your employment.
To give an example: Maija (name altered) gets a summer job in a cafe that does not serve alcohol. She has a written employment contract for fixed-termed employment for the period 1 June – 31 July. It is stated that the job is temporary because it is a summer holiday replacement. It is agreed that June is a trial period.
The employment contract states minimum working time of 90 hours, working in the cafe and as a waitress. Maija has no previous experience of similar work. Therefore she is paid a trainee’s wages in accordance with the collective agreement for the hotel, restaurant and leisure industry of 8.21 euros an hour.
The cafe is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Maija’s work shifts are on all weekdays, and her daily working time varies from 4 to 8 hours. Maija has two days off each week. Under the three-week duty roster she always works a minimum of 90 hours.
The summer job lasts for two months and during that period Maija accrues entitlement to annual holiday in accordance with the Annual Holidays Act of 2 days a month. After the end of her job Maija’s employer pays her holiday allowances together with her final wages. The employer also gives her a certificate stating the duration of employment, the working tasks and, at Maija’s request, an evaluation of her work skills.
Maija’s income from her summer job in a proper employment relationship:
Maija's income from the summer job is over 2 500 €
Hourly wage for 258 hours (8.21 €/hr):
2,118.18 euros
Evening work supplement for 32 hours (1.10 €/hr):
35.20 euros
Sunday work allowance for 24 hours (8.21 €/hr):
197.04 euros
TOTAL:
2,350.42 euros
Holiday allowance (2,350.42 € * 9%):
211.54 euros
TOTAL EARNINGS:
2,561.96 euros
If your working conditions are not in order, your wages will not be right either
Liisa (name altered) has also got a summer job in a cafe that sounds great. In her interview the employer promises plenty of working hours - at least 37.5 hours a week in June and July.
1st problem: How can you know whether working hours will be on offer?
Liisa signs an employment contract where the type of employment is on call as required. According to the employer this is standard practice in the company. That is also the reason why the employment contract contains no mention of minimum working time.
2nd problem: hourly pay of 10 euros sounds good, but is it?
According to the employment contract, Liisa’s work duties include all work duties in the cafe, but she has no previous experience of similar work. Despite that the employer promises to pay an hourly wage of 10 euros. The wage offered is almost 2 euros higher than the minimum wages in the collective agreement for the hotel, restaurant and leisure industry and Liisa willingly agrees.
3rd problem: Agreed work shifts are cancelled in contravention of the collective agreement
The cafe is open Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. In the first full week of June Liisa is regularly called into work and she does three 10-hour work shifts. The following week work shifts have been agreed for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However, on Friday morning the employer announces that due to bad weather Liisa does not need to come into work after all.
On Saturday and Sunday the sun is shining again and Liisa works as agreed. On Sunday evening she asks her employer about the following week’s work shifts. The employer promises to let her know on Monday.
4th problem: On-call employment contracts mean you are kept waiting
The call does not come on Monday. The Finnish summer is temperamental, and cold, rainy weather is forecast for the following week. This means that the summer cafe’s terrace is not expected to be packed with customers. Liisa’s employer does not call Liisa or answer her messages. There are no work shifts in the week and Liisa is in the dark all week and spends midsummer in low spirits.
The phone rings on the Tuesday after midsummer. The employer says that an employee has fallen ill and asks Liisa to come into work in half an hour. There are also work shifts on offer for the remainder of the week.
5th problem: Inflexible duty roster planning causes problems in reconciling work and everyday life
Liisa agrees and works hard for the rest of the week. Ten hours each day. At the end of the week, on Sunday evening, she tells her employer that she needs a weekend off in July to go to her friend’s wedding. The employer says that every worker is needed on that particular weekend. Liisa says she is going to the wedding, but is prepared to work every other day of the week. The employer says he will think about it.
6th problem: Half way through the job there are no more calls to come to work
A few days later the employer pays Liisa her wages for her working hours in June. When Liisa checks her payslip she notices that no supplements have been paid for hours worked after 6 p.m. or on Sundays, as required by the collective agreement. She asks her employer about it. The employer says that the supplements are included in the hourly wage of 10 euros. In the same phone call the employer says he will not be offering Liisa any more work shifts for the rest of the summer.
Liisa’s income from her summer job with inadequate working conditions:
Liisa's income over the summer 1 100 €
Hourly wages for 110 hours (10 €/hr):
1,100.00 euros
TOTAL EARNINGS:
1,100.00 euros
Did you have an experience like Liisa’s?
Liisa had joined PAM earlier. In August Liisa contacts PAM and hears that her employer should have paid evening work supplements and Sunday work allowances. Under the collective agreement these cannot be included in the basic hourly wage.
She should also have been paid at least wages for the cancelled work shift and a holiday allowance. PAM helps members in resolving missing pay and employment-related problems. PAM contacts the employer, who pays Liisa her outstanding pay for the summer.
Outstanding wages paid to Liisa in arrears
Outstanding wages over 400 €
Evening work supplement for 22 hours (1.10 €/hr):
24.20 euros
Sunday work allowance for 20 hours (10 €/hr):
200.00 euros
Wages for cancelled work shift for 10 hours (10 €/hr):
100.00 euros
TOTAL:
324.20 euros
Holiday allowance (1,424.20 € * 9%):
128.18 euros
TOTAL EARNINGS RECEIVED IN ARREARS:
452.38 euros
PAM’s working time and payroll expert Sirpa Leppäkangas was interviewed to create the above example. The amounts and figures in the example are calculated based on the pay rules in the collective agreement for the hotel, restaurant and leisure industry and hypothetical duty roster.
Make sure that you are paid correctly
- The salary paid to a summer worker should not be below the minimum salary stated in the collective agreement.
- Always check the pay slip, so that supplements and other allowences are paid correctly together with your wages.
- Work shift, which are marked in the¨duty roster should always be paid.
This news was updated 26.3.2019.