One in five Finns admits to having worked off the books

A recent study shows that there would be plenty of people willing to take on gig work if the red tape were less burdensome.

In a recent survey on employment, 20 percent of Finns admit to having worked off the books. Ten percent of those surveyed say they have hired someone to do work off the books. A significant portion of work in Finland appears to take place outside the scope of statutory processes, including taxation.

Working without a tax card is particularly common among people aged 18–34: as many as 28 percent of this age group admit to having worked off the books.

How honest are Finns, really?

“I have to admit I’m surprised,” saysJani Laatikainen, CEO of SuoraTyö. “The results confirmed our suspicions, but the numbers were even more stark than we had anticipated. The hassle of paperwork associated with hiring for occasional jobs seems to be driving Finns into a gray area. This is not a good thing. It is particularly concerning that young people are being driven into the black market.”

The job survey is part of the #Duueri campaign being launched today. The campaign is backed byEtera, Fennia, Lenovo, SuoraTyö, Oikotie, and T-Media. The campaign aims to bring together employers and workers in the new economy online—ensuring that the hiring process meets all legal requirements.

The approach promoted by the #Duueri campaign differs, for example, from "light entrepreneurship," which has been the subject of public debate and for which the rules regarding the accrual of pension, unemployment, and social security benefits are unclear.

The SuoraTyö service used in the campaign covers every stage of the employment relationship, from the employment contract to payroll processing and the fulfillment of employer obligations. Employees are covered by social security even in short-term employment relationships, and their pension accrues continuously.

Finns want to do gig work

A work survey reveals that 53 percent of Finns would be willing to take on gig work if it were easy to find and agree on the terms of the job, and if payroll obligations could be handled easily and cost-effectively within the framework of the law. Thirty-one percent of respondents—nearly one in three Finns—would be willing to hire an outside contractor for household tasks under the same conditions.

Twenty-seven percent of working Finns say there is unfulfilled temporary work at their workplace due to inflexibility in the recruitment and pay processes for temporary workers.

“There is a lot of work to be done in Finland,” says Jani Laatikainen. “It is in everyone’s best interest that we make work more flexible for those who want to decide for themselves when, where, and how much they work. This is an opportunity for both workers and employers.”

“As the world of work undergoes a transformation, we must lay all our cards on the table and responsibly shape the future of a productive Finland. We have a shared opportunity here to take the reins and establish best practices for a diverse new way of working.”

DOWNLOAD THE RESEARCH REPORT HERE:Work Study 2017(PDF, 430 KB)

For more information:

Jani Laatikainen, CEO, SuoraTyö
044 023 1179
jani.laatikainen@suoratyo.fi

Tuuli Pohjola, Researcher, T-Media Oy
044 054 0566
tuuli.pohjola@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com

Facts from the Work Study and the #Duueri Campaign

The survey was conducted by T-Media Oy on behalf of the campaign’s partners. The aim of the survey was to explore the views of Finnish adults on working and providing employment. Data was collected via an online questionnaire between March 22 and March 30, 2017.

A total of 1,222 Finns validly responded to the survey. The survey targeted Finns aged 18–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample has been weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence. The margin of error for the entire data set is no more than 2.8 percentage points in either direction.

The #Duueri campaign challenges all Finnish companies and households that already use gig workers to offer one week’s worth of additional work this year than they would otherwise. Offering a week’s worth of work means, for example, four hours of work per month for ten months. If achieved, this would mean a half-billion-euro boost to Finland’s national economy each year. This amount covers nearly the entire annual salaries of all qualified elementary school teachers in Finland.

The goal of the campaign is to generate five million hours of new work in Finland this year through the SuoraTyö and Oikotien Keikkatyöt services. This is equivalent to more than 2,600 full-time jobs, or just under four percent of the government’s employment target.

#The Duueri campaign website can be found atwww.duueri.fiTuore. Research shows that there would be plenty of people willing to take on gig work if the red tape were less burdensome.

Working without a tax card is particularly common among people aged 18–34: as many as 28 percent of this age group admit to having worked off the books.

How honest are Finns, really?

Finns want to do gig work

Twenty-seven percent of working Finns say there is unfulfilled temporary work at their workplace due to inflexibility in the recruitment and pay processes for temporary workers.