When must a restaurant publish the work schedule?
In short
- Working Hours Act (työaikalaki) 30 §: the shift schedule (työvuoroluettelo) must reach employees in writing at least one week before its period begins.
- MaRa TES 9 § (the hospitality collective agreement, työehtosopimus): the schedule (työvuorolista) goes on view at least one week before the three-week period (kolmiviikkoisjakso), unless agreed otherwise at the workplace.
- Both deadlines are one week, not two.
- It is written in something other than pencil, with start and end times and days off (MaRa TES 9 §).
- Under the TES, a published schedule may not be changed without employee and employer consent.
What is a work schedule, and when must it be ready?
A työvuorolista shows start and end times of work and days off (MaRa TES 9 §). The Working Hours Act (872/2019) calls it a työvuoroluettelo (30 §).
Example: a period starts on Monday 12.10.2026, and on Tuesday 06.10.2026 days-off wishes are still open. The deadline passed the day before.
The schedule must be drawn up in advance and put on view for employees on a notice board or similar place at least one week before the three-week period begins, unless agreed otherwise at the workplace under section 30.
The deadline counts from the period's start. A three-week period always starts on a Monday, and the turn of the year does not break it (MaRa TES 9 §). A new deadline comes every three weeks.
- 1 weekat the latest before the period, schedule given in writingWorking Hours Act 30 § 2 mom.
- 1 weekat least before the period, schedule put on viewMaRa TES 9 §
- 3 weekslength of the period, always starts on a MondayMaRa TES 9 §
What do the law and the TES require for publishing?
The law requires written notice at the latest one week before the period (Working Hours Act 30 §); the TES requires the schedule on view at least one week before it (9 §). Neither has a two-week deadline. A written schedule on view a week ahead satisfies both. The employer must also keep the schedule in use available to employees (Working Hours Act 43 §).
It must cover as long a period as possible, at least one week (30 § 1 mom.). An employer or representative who intentionally or negligently breaks the 30 § duty is fined for a working hours offence (työaikarikkomus, 44 §).
What must a work schedule contain?
MaRa TES 9 §: start and end times and days off, in something other than pencil. Working Hours Act 30 §: regular working time's start and end and the breaks. On request, the employee or their representative may give an opinion while it is drawn up.
A three-week schedule: workdays and days off are visible
| 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
More in the schedule articles.
May a published schedule be changed?
Under Working Hours Act 30 §, a published schedule may be changed only with the employee's consent or for a weighty reason connected with organising the work. MaRa TES 9 § has no weighty-reason exception: no change without employee and employer consent.
Example: a cook's shift must move after the schedule is on view. Whether the TES overrides the law's weighty-reason exception is a question of interpretation. In both texts, consent allows a change. Spreadsheet versus software for changes: see the article.
What is the last publishing date when the period starts on Monday 12.10.2026?
If the period starts on Monday 12.10.2026, the schedule must be on view by Monday 05.10.2026. The next period starts on Monday 02.11.2026, so its schedule is due by Monday 26.10.2026, at the start of the current period's third week. The dates are an example.
With 14 employees, a period holds at most 15 workdays each (MaRa TES 8 §), so at most 210 workdays (14 × 15), settled with wishes before the first deadline.
- Mo 05.10.2026: last day to put the schedule for 12.10.2026–01.11.2026 on view.
- Mo 12.10.2026: the period starts.
- Mo 26.10.2026: last day to put the schedule for 02.11.2026–22.11.2026 on view.
- Mo 02.11.2026: the next period starts.
How Plana helps
In Plana, the schedule is published to employees' phones with one press. A change to a published shift takes effect only once the employee accepts it (MaRa TES 9 §), and every change and acceptance is recorded. Working-time records and change history are stored and exportable, for example for an occupational safety inspection (työsuojelutarkastus). Consent does not rest on a verbal understanding, and the schedule is on phones, not only a notice board. The feature is Publishing and changes, on the features page. Sign up for a free trial, with no demo or onboarding fee. Options are compared in this article.
- Publishing and changesSend the roster to every phone in one go. A change to a published shift applies once the employee accepts it.