A government working group has proposed amending the Equality Act to offer more protections for mothers-to-be working on fixed-term contracts, but labour unions said the suggested changes do not go far enough.
Pregnancy discrimination is common in Finland, with one in four women experiencing it, according to a survey by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
"When taking into account both experiences of discrimination and other negative experiences, such as fear of jeopardising one's position at work, the problem concerns nearly half of all pregnant people," the ministry said in a statement last September.
The working group suggested that the Equality Act be amended to explicitly include discrimination in the workplace as also applying to fixed-term employment contracts.
The proposed changes aim to tackle issues like pregnancy discrimination in fixed-term employment, which is particularly prevalent in low-wage, female-dominated sectors.
At the same time, the government is easing restrictions on fixed-term employment contracts, allowing agreements of up to one year without a specific justification. Currently, fixed contracts require a valid reason.
The government-established working group included civil servants as well as representatives from the country's key labour market organisations.
Labour unions said they would have liked to see stronger measures to prevent fixed-term contracts not being renewed due to pregnancy.
In terms of parental leave, the working group proposed a review of parental benefits, childcare subsidies, and alternative ways to compensate employers for costs related to having children.
In 2023, the state granted employers over 52 million euros in compensation for employees' parental leave. Since 2017, employers of mothers have received a one-time parental leave compensation of 2,500 euros.
These amendments to the Equality Act are expected to come before Parliament this autumn.