Lakikaveri

in working life, it’s possible to find yourself in sticky situations

In working life, it’s possible to find yourself in sticky situations, from unpaid wages to an unexpected dismissal. If this happens, confusion can quickly turn to feelings of anxiety, and coping on your own may prove difficult. In these situations our Lakikaveri legal service is at your assistance.

The Lakikaveri service is intended for all combined members* of  YTK. You can call the helpline immediately, and you have access to a personal legal investigation service when you have been a member of YTK Worklife for at least 6 months when the event occurs.

Cases of current members that have taken place in 2021 can also be investigated retroactively, provided that you have been a member for 6 months before the event.

*A combined member of YTK is a member of both the YTK Unemployment fund and YTK Worklife (former YTK Association)

a lawyer assisting a client

Examples of situations where Lakikaveri can help

  • Unpaid wages
  • Suspicion of unlawful dismissal
  • Terms entered in the employment contract
  • Changes in the terms of employment
  • Workplace harassment
  • Breaches of employment contracts
  • Chaining of fixed-term contracts
  • Fixed-term employment, family leave, holidays and other worries on your mind

What you can do

  1. Check out our extensive knowledge bank

    The knowledge bank for employment issues has plenty of information. Often things can be resolved through discussion, so feel free to raise the matter with your employer or payroll department. It is good practice to make written notes of what was discussed and agreed.

  2. Call an OpusLex-lawyer

    The OpusLex-legal network’s telephone counseling is at your service immediately when you become a member of YTK Worklife. You find the instructions on how to call below in How to call an OpusLex-lawyer.

  3. Discuss with the OpusLex-lawyer about the possibility to use the personal investigation service

    If your matter can not be resolved over the phone, YTK Worklife can grant you the investigation service of an OpusLex-lawyer. The service is principally at your use when you have been a combined member of YTK for at least six (6) months when the matter occurs. You find further terms and conditions in OMA+.

  4. Take advantage of legal expenses insurance

    Most issues can be handled over the phone or in the investigation service. If this is not the case, you can get compensations from the legal expenses insurance according to the insurance terms for legal and litigation costs in a dispute. Please read the insurance terms in advance.

How to call an OpusLex-lawyer:

  1. Prepare for the phone call

    If you encounter a difficult situation related to your employment that you cannot solve with the help of YTK Worklife's knowledge bank, you can call an OpusLex-lawyer.

    Prepare for the call by writing down your problems and the course of events in as much detail as possible. Have any documents related to the matter at hand, such as your employment contract and notice of dismissal or lay-off.

  2. Call the lawyer

    You can find the phone number in OMA+ under Member Benefits > Call a lawyer. The telephone helpline is open (Mon-Thur 9-14).

    Log in by entering your membership number, which you can also find in OMA+.
    Wait - Once your membership has been identified, the call will be routed to the nearest available lawyer.

    Please note that on Mondays the phone may be busy. There may be additional charges for calling from abroad or from a foreign line.

    In busy periods, you can also leave a call request and a lawyer will call you back by 12 noon on the next working day at the latest.

  3. Be patient and wait for things to move forward

    Most cases can be resolved over the phone but if not, our lawyer will find out whether the case can be covered by the Lakikaveri investigation service.

    If so, the lawyer will review the details of your case and progress the matter as required by the situation. Legal processes are often slow, but your case is being handled and the lawyer will contact you if necessary.

  4. Discuss potential further action with the lawyer

    If no settlement can be reached through the investigation service, discuss with the lawyer whether the case should be taken to court.  If so, you need to submit an application to the insurance company, who decides whether the legal costs are covered by the insurance.

    You can find more information about the legal expenses insurance coverage here.

What is opuslex?

OpusLex is the YTK Worklife partner of the Lakikaveri service.

OpusLex is a network of independent law firms in twenty locations. The law firms employ around sixty lawyers throughout Finland.

Your situation may seem difficult, but don't worry. Many have received help in similar situations from Lakikaveri.

Example: dismissal for personal reasons

Saara, 28, product development engineer

Our company went through organisational changes as the result of a merger, and I got a new boss in the process. From the get-go, I could sense that we weren’t on the same page. I felt as though he didn’t like anything I said or did.

Example: Chaining of fixed-term contracts and discrimination

Kaisa, 37, graphic designer

I applied for a temporary position as a graphic designer in a large company. The position was for a maternity leave substitute. I got to the final stages of the interviews and also did a work sample. There were two applicants in the end, and the other one was selected for the job.

Example: Interference in personal life

Kari, 34, auto mechanic

My wife and I had a baby during the pandemic and we were making plans for the baptism ceremony. I’d asked a coworker to be the godfather, and the topic of the baptism came up at work. My boss, who’s clearly scared of the coronavirus, said that if we go through with the baptism, me and my coworker would both need to stay on unpaid leave for a week as in his opinion, we’d be risking our coworkers’ health by hosting a family event..

Example: Impaired work ability as grounds for dismissal

Ilpo, 38, mechanical fitter

A few years ago, I started getting fractures and after several examinations, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I was placed on sick leave and the doctors began looking for suitable medication for me.

Example: Failure to pay agreed wages

Teppo, 54, restaurant supervisor

After I lost my job in the restaurant industry because of COVID, I went through a temp agency and applied for work at a refinery that needed extra hands during a strike. I also received a commission for referring people I knew for the job.

Example: Bullying, belittlement and dismissal in violation of the Employment Contracts Act

Riitta, 59, sales clerk

I worked for a kiosk owner who was constantly guilty of all sorts of violations of the collective agreement. I’ve owned a kiosk myself for a long time and I know damn well what is and isn’t allowed. My boss was annoyed that I knew how things should be done and by the fact that I spoke out about every violation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

  • 1. What is the Lakikaveri legal service?

    Lakikaveri is a service package intended for the combined members* of YTK, through which members can receive legal assistance regarding questions and problems related to their employment or public service relationship. The service package is also available to the members who work as executive directors.  

    The Lakikaveri service consists of four different parts, which differ in contents and membership time requirements:  

    1. Employment knowledge bank, which you can find on our website 

    2. Telephone helpline, which is available to you as soon as your membership starts 

    3. A personal investigation service provided by a lawyer, which you can access through the telephone helpline when your membership has lasted for at least 6 months before the case arises 

    4. Legal expenses insurance, which is your safety if the matter cannot resolved by phone or through the investigation service, and when your membership has lasted for at least 6 months before the case arises 

  • 2. What do the lawyer's investigation services include?

    In early 2022, we expanded our legal advice services in cooperation with the OpusLex law office network. In the future, members will have the opportunity to receive more extensive help with problems related to their employment or public service relationship from the lawyers of the OpusLex legal network, provided that they fulfil the conditions. A lawyer in the OpusLex advocacy network can accept a member's employment or public service relationship problem, such as issues with unpaid salaries or ambiguities related to the termination of employment. The lawyer will find out if the situation has included any wrongdoing and will take the matter forward, if warranted by the case. The aim is to bring the parties to the problem on an equal footing and to find a settlement. If this is not possible, the case may be resolved in court, in which case the costs can be reimbursed by the legal expenses insurance if the insurance conditions are met.

  • 3. How much does it cost?

    The Lakikaveri service knowledge databank, telephone helpline, and lawyer's investigation services are included in the membership fee of YTK Worklife (former YTK Association), which is 24 € in 2023.

    If the case requires the deployment of a professional legal expenses or liability insurance, the member must pay at least the deductible of the insurance.

  • 4. How long do I need to be a combined member for the service to be available to me?

    The telephone helpline, website knowledge bank, and chatbot are at your disposal right from the start of your combined membership* in YTK. The personal lawyer's investigation service will become available to you when you have been a combined member for at least 6 months before the start of the chain of events requiring investigation and if the case has begun in 2021 at the earliest. The terms of the legal expenses insurance are determined by the insurance company.

  • 5. What does the Lakikaveri service cover?

    You can call the Lakikaveri telephone helpline in all matters related to employment and public service relationships as soon as the combined membership* is valid. The phone will be answered by lawyers from the OpusLex law office network. Over the phone, you can get help in situations where the lawyer does not need to become familiar with any documents or other materials. If necessary, the lawyer can refer you to the personal investigation service. 

    The lawyer's investigation service covers the preliminary investigation of legal issues and problems related to an employment or public service relationship by a lawyer from the OpusLex lawyer network. This may include for example investigating cases and working on documents. The service also assists CEO:s who are combined members. Cases that occurred before the year 2021 will not be taken in for processing. In addition, the combined membership must have been valid for at least 6 months before the start of the chain of events requiring investigation.   

    The professional legal expenses insurance applies to civil disputes and criminal matters related to employment or public service relationships. The terms of the legal expenses insurance are determined by the insurance company. 

    The comprehensive knowledge bank on the YTK Worklife's website contains information on various situations in working life, such as salary payment, employment contracts, annual leave, and working hours. Chatbot Sulo is also available to help with employment issues online. 

  • 6. How can I get accepted into the lawyer's investigation service?

    If you, as a combined member* of YTK, have an employment-related problem for which you would like the help of the lawyer's investigation service, you must first call the Lakikaveri telephone helpline. If the case cannot be resolved through telephone counselling, an OpusLex lawyer will determine whether the case can be included in the lawyer's investigation service. If this is the case, the OpusLex lawyer will check with YTK Worklife (former YTK Association) that you are entitled to the investigation service and they will ask you for the necessary consent to deal with the matter.  

    Once the OpusLex lawyer has obtained the necessary permissions, the investigation of the matter begins. The lawyer will get acquainted with the details of the matter and take the case forward as required. Often the matter is resolved during the investigation. If the matter cannot be resolved and a dispute arises, you should discuss the use of the legal expenses insurance with the lawyer. The OpusLex lawyer can ask the insurance company whether the court processing of the case is included in the legal expenses insurance. The insurance company makes the compensation decision when employing the legal expenses insurance. If the case is not covered by the legal expenses insurance, the processing of the case may end there or continue in an official hearing for example. 

  • 7. What happens if the matter can't be settled?

    If the matter cannot be resolved by phone counselling or the personal investigation service, the lawyer of the Lakikaveri service can ask the insurance company whether handling the case through legal proceedings is covered by the legal expenses insurance. If this is not the case, the case may be abandoned or continued in administrative proceedings, for example. 

  • 8. Can I choose the lawyer myself?

    No. Legal employment relationship counselling conducted over the telephone and the lawyer's investigation service are provided by the OpusLex law office network, which is a partner of YTK Worklife (former YTK Association). This means that you need to employ a partner office that is part of the OpusLex law office network. OpusLex has approximately 60 lawyers familiar with employment relationships in 22 locations around Finland. As a rule, your lawyer is assigned by locality, and you cannot choose a lawyer yourself.

  • 9. Why did I not get accepted into the lawyer's investigation service?

    In the vast majority of cases, this is because the membership requirement was not fulfilled. You must have been a combined member* of YTK for at least 6 months before the start of the chain of events. In the event of employment termination for example, the combined membership in YTK must have been valid for at least 6 months at the time when the member receives the notice of termination in order for the case to be eligible for the lawyer's investigation services.

  • 10. I received a negative decision on the use of the lawyer's investigation services. Does this mean that I cannot take advantage of the legal expenses insurance?

    No. In the lawyer's investigation service, the decision on a member's access to the service is made by the lawyer of the OpusLex lawyer network (legal assessment) and YTK Worklife (former YTK Association) (fulfillment of the membership condition and other terms of service). For the legal expenses insurance, the decision on reimbursability is made by the insurance company. This means that a negative decision on the use of the lawyer's investigation services does not equal to a negative decision on the legal expenses insurance.  

    The legal expenses insurance and the lawyer's investigation services differ in their terms. For example, commenting and advising related to termination agreements are covered by the lawyer's investigation services, but the terms for terminating an employment relationship are excluded from the legal expenses insurance.

*A combined member of YTK is a member of both the YTK Unemployment fund and YTK Worklife (former YTK Association)

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