Sick-leave certificates in Finland: employer guidance

    Editorial update 26.10.2026

    Editorial: StartHealth (general employer guide, medical review pending)

    A sick-leave certificate provides evidence of illness-related incapacity, but accepted evidence depends on the collective agreement and employer instructions. Check whether a certificate is needed, who may issue the accepted evidence and how to submit it confidentially. Clinical assessment, employer sick-pay decisions and Kela benefit decisions are separate.

    What document does the employer need?

    The Finnish terms sairauslomatodistus and sairauspoissaolotodistus commonly refer to evidence of sickness-related incapacity. The document’s heading alone does not establish acceptance. The employer needs evidence meeting the applicable requirements, including the relevant period of incapacity.

    A poissaolotodistus, or absence statement, may refer to other evidence, including confirmation of attendance at an appointment. Attending an appointment does not automatically establish incapacity for a full day or several days. If instructions request a physician’s certificate for the employer, clarify whether another reliable form of evidence is accepted in that situation.

    Describe the requirement clearly rather than relying on a vague request for a “sick note”. Employees should understand the content needed, recipient and deadline. An employer’s own template does not override collective-agreement requirements.

    Physician or occupational-health nurse?

    A physician issues a medical certificate on the basis of professional assessment. An occupational-health physician considers work ability in relation to job demands, not simply the request for paperwork. Employees should explain their tasks and the employer’s evidence requirements during the consultation.

    An occupational-health nurse may assess the situation and provide a short absence statement under the employer’s policy agreed with occupational healthcare. This is not a universal entitlement to a fixed period of leave. Check the permitted scope and duration and whether the employer accepts the nurse’s statement.

    Where self-certification is sufficient, a certificate need not be obtained just in case. Where physician assessment is required, changing the heading does not turn a nurse’s statement into a physician’s certificate. Check the medical-care coverage in the occupational-health agreement or the employer’s other accepted service route before booking.

    Can a remote appointment produce a certificate?

    A remote consultation can support work-ability assessment when the professional considers it adequate for the specific circumstances. Phone, chat and video do not guarantee a certificate or a chosen period of absence. An in-person examination or other information may be required.

    Distinguish the booking channel from the consultation itself. Sending a portal message is not necessarily a physician assessment. Employer instructions should explain the contact route and next steps without promising that every case can be handled remotely.

    Retrospective certificates are not guaranteed

    A professional can issue evidence for an earlier period only if they can assess the previous incapacity using the available information. A request or employer deadline alone cannot guarantee this. Contact healthcare promptly and explain the onset date and employer requirements accurately.

    If evidence cannot be obtained, the employee should tell the designated employer recipient. The employer then considers acceptable alternatives under the collective agreement and policy. Managers should not promise that healthcare will certainly backdate a certificate or suggest changing dates to fit an administrative requirement.

    Notification and confidential handling

    Tell employees whom to notify, which channel to use, who covers absences of the usual recipient and how continuing absence must be reported. A message to a healthcare provider does not automatically notify the employer. The manager needs information about absence and its expected duration to organise work, not a diagnosis for the team.

    Health information may be processed only for a necessary, legally permitted employment purpose, such as establishing sick-pay entitlement. Obtain it from the employee or with their consent, restrict access to designated people and keep it separate from other personnel information. A small team does not remove these duties. Do not post symptoms, diagnoses or certificate images in ordinary Slack or team chats. Even a direct message is not automatically an approved health-data channel.

    Must an employee tell the manager the reason?

    An employee need not tell their manager the diagnosis merely to organise absence. They must still notify absence and provide any required acceptable evidence to the authorised recipient. If the manager is also that designated recipient, processing must remain necessary and lawful.

    Work arrangements can be discussed without diagnosis: expected duration, contact arrangements and possible adjustments on return. A certificate belongs in the approved confidential route, not a shared staffing folder. An acknowledgement should confirm delivery without copying health information into an ordinary message thread.

    Employer and Kela decisions

    The employer assesses evidence and sick-pay entitlement under legislation and the applicable collective agreement. Kela decides sickness allowance under its own benefit conditions. A short statement accepted by an employer does not automatically establish entitlement to Kela benefits, and a physician’s certificate alone does not set the paid period.

    Illustrative example

    An employee receives a nurse’s short statement accepted by the company policy and submits it confidentially. If absence continues, further assessment follows the agreed instructions. Payroll checks the paid period against the collective agreement, while any Kela application is handled separately.

    Next step

    Check service coverage, self-certification instructions and sick-pay responsibilities. Name a recipient and backup before employees need to send sensitive documents.

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