To offer employed persons the possibility of taking sabbatical leave and to create job rotation on the labour market
3.1.7.2. Legal basis
The (Consolidation) Act on leave, no. 1060 of 20 December 1995.
3.1.7.3. Contents
Sabbatical leave (i.e. leave for any purpose) may be given for consecutive periods of 13 weeks' up to one year. The target group are employed persons above 25 years of age. The period of leave must be agreed with the employer. It is also a condition that the person concerned is a member of an unemployment insurance fund and qualifies for unemployment benefit. Finally, it is a condition that the vacancy is filled by a person who has been unemployed for at least one year
3.1.7.4. Financial resources
During the leave a leave benefit is paid of (up to) 70% of the maximum rate of unemployment benefit. As from 1 April 1977 the leave benefit will be reduced to 60%.
3.1.7.5. Institutional support
The administration of the leave schemes is the responsibility of the public employment service which also has to offer its assistance in connection with the introduction of job rotation arrangements. The Act on leave schemes must be seen in the context of the Act on an active labour market policy so that the public employment service may contribute - through guidance to employed persons about the possibilities for taking leave and about training and further training opportunities - to ensuring that leave schemes will lead to increased employment through job rotation arrangements
3.1.7.6. Duration
Sabbatical leave may be given for consecutive periods of at least 13 weeks' duration to a maximum of one year. The sabbatical leave scheme is a pilot scheme which will expire by the end of March 1999
3.1.7.7. Effects
By the end of 1995 a total number of about 70,000 persons were on leave; of these about 2,000 were on sabbatical leave.
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