To be eligible for study leave, you must
- At the start of the leave, you must have been employed for the previous six months or a total of 12 months in the previous two years.
- If the leave is for trade union training, there is no requirement for a certain period of employment.
You can take leave for virtually any training, but it must be aimed at improving your knowledge and involve teaching.
You decide whether to study full-time or part-time and between what times you will be on leave for part-time studies.
How you formulate your application for leave may affect your ability to work during study breaks, for example.
If the employer has a collective agreement
If there is a collective agreement, the employer has the right to postpone the date of leave for up to six months without the consent of the local trade union. If the employer wishes to do this, both the employee and the local trade union must be informed immediately of the postponement and the reason for it. The union is entitled to a consultation on the postponement if this is requested within one week.
Leave for trade union training may be postponed by the employer for a maximum of two weeks without the approval of the trade union. Trade union training under the Study Leave Act does not include training to which trade union representatives and safety representatives are entitled under the Shop Stewards Act and the Work Environment Act.
Employers with a collective agreement may postpone shorter study leave of up to one week for a maximum of two weeks without the union's consent.
If the employer does not have a collective agreement
Employers without a collective agreement may postpone leave for significantly longer than would otherwise be the case. When applying for leave longer than one working week, the employee can only go to court after 2 years to have the duration of the leave determined. In the case of leave shorter than one working week, there is a 1-year period before such a court review can be requested.