Responsibilities of the service location

Requirements related to non-military service person’s obligations are regulated in Civil Service Act 38 §.

• According to the Civil Service Act a non-military service person should conscientiously perform the service duties which are assigned by the service location and follow the work management regulations issued by the Non-military Service Centre and the service location.
• If a non-military service person neglects his or her service duties or otherwise acts against his or her service obligations, he or she may be subject to a disciplinary sanction provided for in the Civil Service Act (Civil Service Act 68 §).

The service location must actively orient the non-military service person to the service location and to the work tasks.

• The conviction and suitability of the non-military service person must be considered when assigning the duties. If non-military service person justifiably states that the duties are contrary to his or her conviction, other duties should be assigned.
• In the case of suitability, attention must be paid mainly to non-military service person’s education, work experience and state of health.
• The centre in organizing the work service lies on non-military service person’s conviction. A duty which is reasonably considered to be contrary to his or her conviction must be excluded.
• Non-military service person may not be assigned to work which is not performed by permanent employees of the service location due to an employment dispute, except in the case of a prohibited industrial action.
• Finnish speaking or Swedish speaking non-military service person must be able to perform the service in his or her own first language unless he or she wishes otherwise. The first language of non-military service person should also be considered when assigning the service location and duties of the service, at least as regards the language skills required for the duties and the language skills of the staff at the service location.
• At the service location the performance of the service may not be combined with any other employment contract or a payment of any financial consideration. Non-military service person may not be paid a salary or, for example, meeting allowances or overtime payments.
• Non-military service person is allowed to work during his or her free time without time limits, but not in the service location. It is good to notice that any received monetary compensation may affect to conscript’s allowance (which is paid by Kela).

Obligation of confidentiality and secrecy of non-military service person

• You must be informed of confidentiality and secrecy immediately at the time of your work orientation. The recommended procedure is to sign a written non-disclosure agreement. A model form is available on the Non-military Service Centre’s website (in Finnish).
• The secrecy and confidentiality provisions of the service location are management provisions which are in meaning of the Civil Service Act and you must comply with. Service locations must ensure that you are aware of the duty of secrecy and confidentiality that applies to you. This is especially important when you have access to a customer information system, personal register, or similar information covered by professional secrecy or confidentiality.

Youth guarantee in non-military service

• The Non-military Service Centre is actively involved in youth guiding operations. The aim is to guarantee that every young person has opportunities after non-military service, thus preventing exclusion.
• It is recommended that your service location allows you to visit for example the local TE Office or Youth guiding place during your service time, and you do not have to use your holidays (HL) for that.
• The above recommendation also applies to entrance examinations related to studies. You should be guaranteed the opportunity to participate in entrance exams held in Finland. The Non-military Service Centre recommends that the absence of the entrance examination day be recorded “for release from service”. The use of HSL leave in these situations is not in the spirit of the Youth Act.