Public holidays in restaurants: does the "JP day" still exist?

What is a JP day, and does it still exist?

A JP day (juhlapyhäkorvaus) is workplace slang for time off or pay tied to a weekday public holiday (arkipyhä). The current MaRa TES (2025–2028) has neither term, though old roster templates keep it alive.

If Independence Day falls on a Monday and an employee asks whether it is a JP day, the TES answers in two parts: holiday work earns a premium, and time off accrues from hours worked.

Staff restaurants can agree locally on the customer community's weekday-holiday and working-time-reduction arrangement instead of the annual-day-off system (MaRa TES 11 § 6).

What is paid for work done on a holiday?

On a Sunday, another church holiday, May Day and Independence Day, base pay and the evening, night and licence-holder's representative supplements are raised by 100%. After 15.00 on New Year's Eve, Easter Saturday, May Day Eve, Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve they are raised by 50%, but no eve supplement is paid for an eve that falls on a holiday (MaRa TES 17 § 2).

Work on a V or X day must be agreed with the employee; it is paid at base pay raised by 100% (V) or 50% (X), plus Sunday work compensation if the day is a Sunday, another church holiday, May Day or Independence Day (MaRa TES 19 §).

How does time off accrue if there is no JP day?

The annual day off (vuosivapaa) is the TES system in which full-time and part-time staff earn one day off per 200 hours actually worked, at most nine per calendar year (MaRa TES 11 § 1–2).

The threshold drops to 140 hours after 1,400 hours worked and to 100 after 1,540 (MaRa TES 11 § 2). A day off can be given once earned, and by the end of the following calendar year at the latest. It is marked VV and shortens the period by 7.5 hours (MaRa TES 11 § 3).

The employee must be able to give an opinion on timing. Each calendar year they may request at least two annual days off when they choose, if business allows, at least 10 days before the roster is published. This does not apply if the days off are always placed on certain days for business reasons, such as weekday holidays (MaRa TES 11 § 3).

How does a weekday holiday affect annual leave?

Sundays, church holidays, Independence Day, Midsummer Eve, May Day, Christmas Eve and Easter Saturday do not count as leave days (MaRa TES 27 § 5 item 5). In the 112.5-hour system each Monday–Friday leave day shortens the period by 7.5 hours, as do church holidays, Independence Day, May Day, Christmas Eve and Midsummer Eve on Monday to Friday inside annual leave (MaRa TES 27 § 5 item 8).

TES example: five leave days (5 × 7.5 h = 37.5 h) plus Ascension Day (7.5 h) leave 112.5 – 45 = 67.5 hours (MaRa TES 27 § 7, example 5).

How much does one holiday shift cost?

Example: 8-hour shift 14.00–22.00, sample wage €13.50/h, Independence Day on Monday 06.12.2027. Base pay doubles and the evening supplement (18.00–24.00) is also raised by 100%; the wage-appendix amount from 1.7.2027 is €1.43/h.