FARMER RELIEF SYSTEM

Finland’s farmer relief system, regulated under statue 20.12.1996/1231, is designed to support agricultural entrepreneurs by providing substitute services during vacations, illness, or other periods of incapacity. This system ensures that farmers can maintain their operations without interruption, promoting their social security and work motivation. 

Responsive measures: The relief service includes assigning substitute workers or compensating farmers for the costs of self-arranged substitutes. The approach not only enhances farmer well-being but also contributes to local employment and farm safety. 

Support work-life balance: A farmer relief service is especially important for pregnant farmers and for those with small children. As many farmers are self-employed, social security provisions that are meant for workers, such as Sweden’s system for parental leave and for caring for sick children, do not apply as these systems are built on the supposition that parents can take time off from work, which is not always the case for farmers, as the processes in the farm will go on. The solution for many farming parents is to bring their children along while working on the farm. However, having children in agricultural work involves a major safety risk that many farmers are concerned about.