YTK membership is pure profit for a student
Many students change the exam books for a summer job around this time. Early summer is also the right time to fix the YTK membership, as it provides great benefits to students.
Many are hesitant about the membership of an unemployment fund during studies, because those receiving study grant are not entitled to receive unemployment daily allowance. Membership in an unemployment fund is nevertheless a sensible choice for a student. The reason is the condition regarding employment, the fulfilling of which is a requirement for receiving earnings-related daily allowance. As a member of an unemployment fund students can accumulate their condition regarding employment for earnings-related daily allowance, thus ensuring their future earnings-related security.
”A student may be entitled to receive earnings-related daily allowance straight after completing their studies, if they fulfil the condition regarding employment as a member of an unemployment fund and meet the other requirement for receiving the benefit. Joining an unemployment fund is worthwhile already during studies if you work alongside studies even occasionally 18 hours per week”, says Jyri Sundin, unemployment security expert at YTK.
The requirements for fulfilling the condition regarding employment in a summer job are the same as for other employees. The condition regarding employment is fulfilled when you have worked for 26 weeks at least 18 hours per week, and your salary has been in accordance with the collective agreement.
”The condition regarding employment need not be fulfilled as an uninterrupted period. It’s enough that you fulfil it during the review period”, Mr Sundin says.
Make use of the system for which you pay anyway
When you fulfil the condition regarding employment as a member of an unemployment fund and become unemployed, you are entitled to receive earnings-related daily allowance. The amount of earnings-related daily allowance will be calculated from your salary before the unemployment. It is on average around twice the basic daily allowance or labour market subsidy paid by Kela.
Your employer will anyway withhold from your salary the unemployment insurance contribution which is used for financing the Finnish unemployment security system. If you are not a member of an unemployment fund, you will not be entitled to receive earnings-related daily allowance.
”So without a membership of an unemployment fund you will not get the full benefit of the system, although you pay for it in your salary”, Jyri Sundin reminds.
Students are allowed to accumulate their condition regarding employment for a much longer time
Full-time studying extends the review period for the condition regarding employment. It means that your condition regarding employment will not expire as quickly as with members in employment. Normally the condition regarding employment shall be fulfilled during a review period of 28 months, but full-time studying will extend the review period by up to seven years.
“You can fulfil the condition regarding employment, even if you have worked for just a few months at summer during your studies, as long as you have been in employment that fulfils the condition regarding employment for the required period of 26 weeks”, Jyri Sundin says.
Membership in unemployment fund is not an obstacle to the payment of study grant. As a general rule, however, it is not possible to receive unemployment benefit and study grant simultaneously. The primary form of subsidy for full-time studies is study grant, and generally you can only receive unemployment benefit after completing your studies.
Membership of YTK-Association provides many extra benefits
Joining the YTK Association is worthwhile, whatever your situation in life. As a member of the Association, the annual fee of 18 euros will give you many valuable benefits, such as advisory services on employment relationships, accident insurance, and coaching for job-seeking. You will find more information about the benefits on the YTK Association’s website.
Student membership in the YTK Association is free of charge, but it does not include the membership of the unemployment fund. So you can join the YTK Association as soon as you start your studies. When you start a summer job, it is worthwhile to join also the unemployment fund, so that you can accumulate your condition regarding employment and get additional security in case of unemployment. Read more about the student membership of the YTK Association.
