When change negotiations need to take place

Last updated 6.10.2023

Here you can find information on when an employer must initiate a co-operation procedure and conduct change negotiations (formerly co-operation negotiations).

Co-operation procedure when the measure may lead to dismissal

When considering measures that may lead to the dismissal, temporary lay-off, part-time work or substantial unilateral change of a term of an employment contract of at least one employee,the employer must submit a written negotiation proposal for the co-operation, negotiations no later than five days before the start of the negotiations. The negotiation proposal must indicate at least the date and place of the start of the negotiations and a main proposal on the matters to be discussed in the negotiations.

The negotiation proposal shall indicate:

• the date and place of the start of the negotiations
• an outline of the issues to be discussed in the negotiations.
• Justification of the planned measures
• Preliminary estimate of the number of redundancies
• a description of the principles according to which the persons to be made redundant are determined by:
• an estimate of the period during which the redundancies will be carried out;

Co-operation negotiations take place for at least 14 days if the employee is dismissed, temporarily laid off or part-timed or laid off for less than 90 days, unless otherwise agreed.

Negotiations shall take place for at least six weeks in a situation where the measures concern at least ten employees, unless otherwise agreed. In companies with 20-29 employees, the negotiation period is 14 days.

The employer must initiate a co-operation procedure if it plans:

• the closure, relocation, extension or reduction of an undertaking or part of it
• machinery and equipment purchases or the introduction of new technology
• changes in the organisation or organisation of work
• changes in service production or product range
• the use of external labour (agency labour or subcontracting)