Meet Leyla. She runs Kuu Kitchen in Tampere. It’s Sunday night, and her team asks: what are my shifts next week? In Finland, the shift roster is required by law, and it has its own word: työvuoroluettelo. This episode covers when to publish it, how much rest goes between shifts, and who can change it.
The rules
Give the roster one week ahead
In restaurants, you plan work in three-week periods. Each period starts on a Monday. Give the roster to your team at least one week before the period starts.
Source: MaRa agreement 9 §
11 hours of rest between shifts
Between two shifts there must be 11 hours of rest, and once a week 35 hours off in a row. A shorter rest needs the employee’s agreement, and never less than 8 hours.
Source: MaRa agreement 7 § 4 · Working Hours Act 27 §
Changes need consent
Once the roster is published, a change needs the employee’s consent. Ask, agree, and write it down.
Source: MaRa agreement 9 §
In practice
Example: Friday evening, Saturday morning
Ali works Friday from 15 to 23. Leyla puts him on Saturday at 7. That leaves only 8 hours of rest, which is allowed only if Ali agrees. Move Saturday to 10, and he gets the full 11 hours.
Source: MaRa agreement 7 § 4
Most common mistake: evening, then morning
An evening shift followed by a morning shift looks fine on paper, but the rest is often under 11 hours. Always check the gap after an evening shift.
Source: MaRa agreement 7 § 4
Check your own roster
Find every evening shift and look at the next morning. Then go through the checklist before you publish.
Source: MaRa agreement 7 § 4 · 9 §
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Based on the MaRa collective agreement 2025–2028 and the Working Hours Act; only the Finnish text of the agreement is binding.
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