The three-week period in restaurants: what does 112.5 hours mean?
In short
- Under MaRa TES § 7 (1), working time is counted per kolmiviikkoisjakso (three-week period), and regular working time is at most 112.5 hours in three weeks.
- A period has at most 15 working days (MaRa TES § 8 (1)); 15 working days × 7.5 hours is 112.5 hours.
- A period always starts on a Monday, and New Year does not break it (MaRa TES § 9).
- Work beyond the hours in the roster is lisätyö (additional work) up to 120 hours; work beyond 120 hours is ylityö (overtime) (MaRa TES § 18).
- In a short period, regular working time may be at most 7.5 hours per working day on average (MaRa TES § 9).
What is the three-week period?
Say the roster (työvuoroluettelo in the Working Hours Act) shows weeks of 40, 35 and 37.5 hours. What counts is the three-week sum: 112.5 hours.
The kolmiviikkoisjakso is three consecutive weeks, the period MaRa TES (the collective agreement for tourism, restaurant and leisure services) uses to count restaurant working time: at most 112.5 regular hours (MaRa TES § 7 (1)).
- 112,5 hregular working time in three weeksMaRa TES 7 § 1
- 15working days in a period at mostMaRa TES 8 § 1
- 120 hadditional work ends and overtime beginsMaRa TES 18 §
- 7,5 hper working day on average in a short periodMaRa TES 9 §
Working time is determined per three-week period. Regular working time is at most 112.5 hours in three weeks.
Why is the figure 112.5 and not 120 or 111?
The Working Hours Act (872/2019) allows period-based work in accommodation, catering and cultural services, with regular working time of at most 120 hours in three weeks (Working Hours Act § 7). MaRa TES sets it lower: 112.5 hours (MaRa TES § 7 (1)).
The law sets a ceiling and the agreement a lower limit, so these are different rules. Confusingly, 120 also appears in the agreement for another purpose: work between 112.5 and 120 hours is additional work, and overtime starts after 120 (MaRa TES § 18). The figure 111 appears in neither the MaRa TES working-time chapter nor the Act.
How are the hours and days of a period counted?
These steps apply to a full-time employee with 112.5 hours per period.
- The period starts on a Monday (MaRa TES § 9). The period 14.12.2026–03.01.2027 includes Christmas and New Year; the next starts on 04.01.2027.
- There are at most 15 working days (MaRa TES § 8 (1)). Counted as working days are an X day moved from one week to another, a tasoitusvapaapäivä (balancing day off), a lomaltapaluurahavapaapäivä (day off in place of holiday return pay) and an annual-leave day placed in the roster (MaRa TES § 8 (2)).
- There are at most 112.5 hours. A part-time employee works less than 112.5 hours per three weeks on average (MaRa TES § 7 (2)).
- For each week of five working days, the employee earns a V day (at least 30 hours) and an X day (at least 24 hours) (MaRa TES § 8 (2)).
- The roster is posted at least a week before the period starts, unless agreed otherwise at the workplace, and cannot be changed without the consent of employee and employer (MaRa TES § 9).
Example period: 15 working days, 3 V and 3 X
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Weekly rest day | Extra day off | 37,5 h |
| Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Extra day off | Weekly rest day | 37,5 h |
| Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Weekly rest day | Workday | Extra day off | 37,5 h |
- Workday
- Weekly rest day
- Extra day off
What happens if a period is short?
If a period is short because employment starts or ends, or because of unpaid absence, regular working time may be at most 7.5 hours per working day on average (MaRa TES § 9). The full 112.5 hours then does not apply as such; additional work and overtime in a short period have their own provision (MaRa TES § 18 (3)).
Example: employment starts on the Monday of the second week, and the remaining two weeks have 10 working days. Regular working time may then be at most 75 hours (10 × 7.5).
How are additional work and overtime counted in a period?
Additional work is work beyond the hours in the roster under the employment contract, up to 120 hours, paid at the basic hourly wage. Overtime is work beyond 120 hours: the first 18 hours carry a 50% increase and the following ones 100%. Both require the employee's consent (MaRa TES § 18 (1–2)).
Hours in a three-week period and pay
- 0–112,5 h · Regular working time · base pay
- 112,5–120 h · Additional work · ×1
- 120–138 h · Overtime 50 % · ×1,5
- 138–150 h · Overtime 100 % · ×2
Example at a sample wage of €13.50/h (not a TES table wage): a full-time cook's roster is 112.5 hours, but agreed extra shifts raise the period to 126. The table shows only hours above 112.5.
| Hours in the period | Category and pay | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 112.5–120 (7.5 h) | additional work, basic hourly wage | 7.5 × €13.50 | €101.25 |
| 120–126 (6 h) | overtime, 50% increase | 6 × €20.25 | €121.50 |
| Total | €222.75 |
Under the tasoittumisjärjestelmä (averaging system), additional work and overtime are handled separately. More on working-time rules is in the blog's working time section.
How Plana helps
Plana builds the three-week roster under MaRa TES and the Working Hours Act. The TES check tests every shift before saving: rest times, consecutive days and period hours. A shift that breaks the law does not save.
In three-week hours balancing, salaried employees' hours balance over the period, and consent is asked before additional work or overtime. A change to a published shift takes effect when the employee accepts it. If one employee works at two locations, period hours are added together. The pay calculation itemises additional work, overtime, and Sunday and evening supplements. See the features page, or start a free trial by signing up.
- TES checkRest times, days in a row and period hours are checked as you plan. An illegal shift won't save.
- Three-week hours balancingSalaried staff's hours balance over the period. Extra hours and overtime need the employee's consent first.