Data protection and accessibility statement

Primarily we process the information that we have received from you. In addition, we receive information from officials such as the Finnish Tax Administration or the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) that relate to taxation or to other social benefits. Further, your employer can send information on your employment relationship concerning e.g. pay, type of employment, and documents related to the ending of employment. We can receive information about your residency or dependent children from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

We also have the right to receive information from another unemployment fund.

Membership information

Our membership registry requires identifying information (name and social security number), contact information as well as your sector of employment and service language. For statistical purposes we collect data of your gender. In addition, we may require information on your membership payments in order to process your unemployment benefit.

Benefit information

Depending on your work background and situation, we may need information on your unemployment periods, entrepreneurial activity or employment. In addition, we may need information on your possible absence periods.

If benefit has been paid in excess and needs to be reclaimed

To resolve a possible claim for recovery we may need further information, for instance on loan arrangement or enforcement request and the necessary information of a possible legal claim.

The data is stored as long as it is necessary for processing purposes of the unemployment fund and/or the unemployment fund has a statutory obligation to store the data. The period the data is stored is defined in the filing plan of the unemployment fund. Depending on the document, the period the data is stored is six or ten years or even longer.

The unemployment funds are communities that, while handling statutory tasks, carry out a public task as well. The benefits implemented by the unemployment funds are statutory social security benefits. The grounds for granting benefits are regulated by law. The grounds for granting a membership are regulated in the unemployment fund’s own rules and in the Unemployment Funds Act.

We process the personal data of our members when it is related to the membership of the unemployment fund and to pay benefits. When you apply for a benefit, such as the earnings-related allowance, alternation compensation or mobility allowance, we need information from you. Without the required information we cannot accept you as a member or carry out a benefit regulated by law (the legal basis is to adhere to the statutory obligation).

We also use members’ contact details to inform members about the Unemployment Fund’s activities.

To resolve a possible claim for recovery we may need further information, for instance on loan arrangement or enforcement request and the necessary information of a possible legal claim. According to law, the earnings-related allowance or other benefit paid by the unemployment fund must be reclaimed, if it has been paid unduly or in excessive amount.

We are committed to protect your privacy and personal data. We do not collect any such information, which is not necessary when carrying out our statutory tasks. 

Information is provided to public officials, other wage earners’ unemployment funds, unemployment fund for the entrepreneurs, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and insurance and pension institutions when it is required by law.

The Open Unemployment Fund enables the process to join the unemployment fund through some trade unions. These unions are the Ay-toimihenkilöt, Finnish Food Worker’s Union SEL, Finnish Transport Workers’ Union AKT, Industrial Union, Paperworkers’ Union, The Finnish Actors Union, The Finnish Construction Trade Union, The Finnish Musicians’ Union, The Finnish Post and Logistics Union PAU, The Finnish Seafarers´ Union FSU, The Union of Journalists in Finland and Trade Union for Theatre and Media Finland (Teme). In the cases, where the joining process has been started by the aforementioned unions, the unemployment fund has outsourced the collecting of membership fee to the union in question. A data protection contract has been made of the processes in order to ensure the rights and liberties of the member.

Open Unemployment Fund submits the information of your unemployment (but no detailed accounts concerning unemployment) to the Finnish Food Worker’s Union SEL, Industrial Union, Paperworkers’ Union, the Finnish Construction Trade Union and the Union of Journalists in Finland in order to investigate the right to exemptions from membership fees, if you have given your consent to do so. For more information about the data protection policies of the unions, please visit their website. If the matter concerns only the payment of benefits by the unemployment fund, please submit the information only to the unemployment fund.

Your data is processed in a software system managed by Futunio Oy. We have made a data processing contract with Futunio in order to ensure safe and proper use of data.

In connection with possible fund mergers, the personal data of the members of both funds may be processed by certain designated employees of the funds that have merged. The processing will take place at the earliest after the decision approving the merger has been confirmed by the Financial Supervisory Authority and the members have been informed accordingly. The data will only be processed in connection with the preparation of the merger, and in order to implement the merger and to serve the members.

No information is given outside the EU.

If you are a registered member, your rights will be secured by legal provisions. You have the right

• to check your information
• to erase your information
• to correct information
• to restrict processing of information
• to make an appeal to a supervisory authority

How do I exercise my rights?

Use our contact form, choose “Other” as topic, and write what right you want to exercise and why. We will respond to your message as soon as possible, within a month at the latest. If we need more time, we will contact you within one month.

The right to check your data

You have the right to check your information. By request, you will receive a written copy of the data that is being processed. You can correct your information at the same time.

In our eService you can go through your information, update your contact information and contact us. You will need Finnish bank credentials to use eService.

The right to erase your data

Under the law, you have the right to erase unnecessary data, if the personal information is no longer needed for reasons that include membership, payment of benefits or other unemployment fund’s statutory task, for which the data was originally collected.

We do not process any data, which is not necessary to unemployment fund’s statutory tasks. Due to statutory obligation it is necessary to store data for either six or ten years depending on the document.

Everyone has the legal right to erase their data, if, according to a decision by a public official, unlawful action has been committed when processing personal information.

The right to correct data

You have the right demand from the controller of personal data to correct inaccurate or false personal data without delay.

We will update your personal information constantly and take into account the additional and new information you have sent us without delay. You can check your information, update your contact information and contact us in our eService as well.

The right to restrict processing of data

Everyone has the legal right to restrict the processing of data, if it is in one’s opinion that the information is false. During the restriction the accuracy of the information will be investigated. Everyone has also the right to demand for their information to be kept restricted, if, according to a decision by a public official, unlawful action has been committed when processing personal information and the registered member does not want to erase the information. Further, everyone has the right to demand for their information to be kept restricted for possible legal claims.

During the restriction the controller of personal data can process the data only by consent of the person in question, for possible legal claim, to protect the rights of another person or of the public interest of the member state.

The unemployment fund must always notify the person, who has used one’s right, of the restriction and its removal.

Automatic decision making and profiling

We do not make automatic decisions nor practice profiling.

The right to make an appeal to a supervisory authority

Everyone has the legal right to make an appeal to a supervisory authority, if one’s rights have been violated or personal data has been unlawfully processed. The supervisory authority in Finland is the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. You will find the contact information of the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman here.

The data controller is the Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa.

You can contact us here.

We are also at your service in our eService, where you can view your information, update your contact details, and get in touch with us.

You can find our customer service contact details here.

All mail addressed to the unemployment fund should be sent to:

Open Unemployment Fund
P.O. Box 116
00531 Helsinki
Finland

The contact details of the fund’s Data Protection Officer are:

tietosuojavastaava@a-kassa.fi

Data Controller and contact persons

Data Controller:
Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa (below ‘Fund’ or ‘we’)

Data Controller contact information:
Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa
Mailing address: Hakaniemenranta 1,
PL 116, 00531 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: +358 29 372 4000

Contact person for the register:
Leila Karkkola
leila.karkkola@a-kassa.fi
Phone: +358 40 145 8120

Fund’s Data Protection Officer:
Arto Pirinen
tietosuojavastaava@a-kassa.fi

The purpose and legal basis of processing personal data

We process jobseekers’ personal data in recruitment processes and in any related matters, such as when processing job applications, informing applicants of progress in their recruitment process, arranging interviews and assessing professional or personal suitability for a job. The legal basis for processing personal data is the implementation of the recruitment process based on an application submitted to us or to our recruitment partner, as well as our legitimate interest.

Under certain circumstances and only to the extent permitted by applicable legislation, we may also process personal data for reliability assessments or background checks based on your consent.  

If you are selected for a position, any documents necessary for the recruitment process are entered into the Fund’s human resources management register.

Data processed and data sources

We collect and process only such applicant-related personal data that is necessary for the processing of job applications and the recruitment process, including:

• basic information, such as name, home address, e-mail address, phone number;
• your job application with any included information and related documents and other appendices, such as a CV, education information, prior work experience, degrees, language skills and references; and
• information collected and processed during the recruitment process, such as information about the progress of the recruitment process, notes regarding the application, any interviews as well as references and suitability assessments.

Your personal data may be collected in various ways. In principle, we collect personal data directly from you. These include, among others, your application and any appendices as well as any information provided in an interview or in a suitability assessment. We may also receive data from our recruitment partner to whom you have provided the information. To the extent permitted by applicable legislation, we may collect personal data from other sources, too, such as public databases or a public profile you have provided (e.g. a LinkedIn profile) or, based on your consent, from references, etc.

Disclosure and transfer of data

We only disclose personal data to third parties:

• to the extent permitted and required by law;
• when, upon our assignment, our contracting partners process personal data on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions (e.g. HR systems or outsourced recruitment consultants etc.); we always ensure that your personal data is processed appropriately and securely;
• when we believe that disclosing personal data is necessary to exercise our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, or legitimate interests, investigate abuse, or respond to a request from the authorities; and
• with your consent to parties the consent pertains to, e.g. references.

Data is not transferred outside the EU or EEA or to international organisations.

Retention period and data protection

Your data is actively processed only during the recruitment process. Following the conclusion of the process, your data will be retained for two years based on our legitimate interest. The retention of your data based on our legitimate interest is necessary to, for instance, meet future recruitment needs and/or demonstrate compliance with legislative requirements. However, no data is processed in such situations, unless there is a legal basis to do so.

The data is protected by technical and organisational measures appropriate to the level of risk.  For instance, access rights to the data are only issued to the persons participating in the HR process and any related processes, and only to the extent required for them to perform their duties.

Your privacy rights

You have:

• the right to review the information and request a written copy of it;
• the right to request the rectification of erroneous/incomplete information;
• the right to have unnecessary information erased; however, please note that any personal data required to carry out the purposes specified in this Statement, or that the law requires to be retained, may not be erased;
• the right to object to or limit the processing of your personal data to the extent permitted by applicable legislation;
• the right to withdraw your consent for the processing of your personal data at any time; upon the withdrawal, we no longer process your personal data, unless there is another legal basis for the processing; and
• the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if the processing of personal data has not been conducted appropriately and as required by law and your rights have been violated. The contact information for the supervisory authority, the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman, is available at www.tietosuoja.fi/en.

You may exercise these rights by contacting the persons specified in the contact information. Be prepared to provide a proof of identity.

Amendments to the Privacy Statement

We reserve the right to update the Statement. The currently applicable Statement is available on the Fund’s public website.

This Privacy Statement describes how our organisation processes the personal data of webinar participants. The Privacy Statement is provided to the participants in conjunction with registration, and it is also available on the organisation’s website.

Data Controller: Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa, PL 116, 00531 Helsinki, Finland

Personal data we collect: Upon the reception of webinar registrations, we only collect necessary information on the participants, i.e. name and e-mail address required to arrange the webinar and conduct any related communications.

Purpose of processing personal data: Personal data collected upon the registration is used to carry out the webinar and to communicate with the participants. This includes a link for accessing the webinar and submission of a feedback form, reminders for the upcoming webinar and compilation of participant statistics. The personal data is only used for these purposes, and they are not made available to other parties without permission.

Webinar recording: The recording is shared in a manner that ensures that no personal data of the participants is disclosed.

Data retention period: Participants’ personal data is retained only for as long as is necessary. Data is removed once it is no longer required for the organisation of the webinar, the distribution of materials or the completion of follow-up activities. In practice, the data is retained a maximum of two (2) months following the end of the event, unless a legal obligation or the organisation’s information management policies require a longer retention period.

Rights of the participants: Webinar participants have the right to review their personal data entered in our register and request the rectification or erasure of any erroneous information. In addition, the participant is under certain circumstances entitled to limit or object the processing of their personal data and, if the processing is based on consent, to withdraw their consent. The participants also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent Data Protection Ombudsman if they think that the use of their personal data is in violation of applicable data privacy legislation. All requests and enquiries related to this Privacy Statement and the processing of personal data may be directed to the organisation’s Data Protection Officer.

Contact information for exercising rights:

You may contact us here.

Contact information for the Fund’s Data Protection Officer:

tietosuojavastaava@a-kassa.fi

Contact information for the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman is available here.

Chat messages, questions and participant lists: Any questions presented and chat messages sent during the webinar, as well as any participant lists, are processed confidentially and in compliance with the minimisation of data principle. Consequently, we only collect and store information that is necessary for the organisation of the event and the fulfilment of the set goals. No unnecessary personal data is collected, and the data is not used for any other purposes without appropriate, separately requested consent. For example, we do not store chats permanently nor do we share participant list data to external parties without the participants’ consent or a legal obligation.

Security measures: We see to the technical execution of the webinar and ensure that the participants’ information and communications remain secure. We use the latest security updates, strong and secure passwords and, where necessary, two-factor authentication with organisational accounts. We ensure that only appropriate persons have access to the webinar’s information and recordings. With these arrangements, we secure the data privacy of the webinar and ensure that the event is carried out in compliance with data protection legislation of Finland and the EU.

This Privacy Statement is valid from March 10, 2026, and it is updated to correspond to current requirements where necessary. By taking part in the webinar, you approve these terms and conditions and the processing of your data as described above.