Vocational rehabilitation

Are you struggling in your job because of injury or illness? Or are you returning to work after a long sick leave? You could benefit from vocational rehabilitation.

Vocational rehabilitation can help you continue working

A long period of illness or an injury may prevent you from working in your current job. This means you then need to find a job better suited to your health. Vocational rehabilitation is one way to help you with this. The aim of vocational rehabilitation is to help you to find work that is better suited to your health.

Vocational rehabilitation takes place through work or studies. For example, you can try out new tasks for a while at your existing workplace. You can also study the knowledge and skills required in a new job. You can study while working or in an educational institute.

Vocational rehabilitation does not mean medical rehabilitation. It does not include visits to a physician, nurse, physiotherapist, or psychologist. Nor does it include acquiring technical aids.

If you have a job, you, your employer, your workplace physician and Keva discuss and agree on rehabilitation.

If you do not have a job, discuss rehabilitation with a TE office employee, or for example the physician or nurse treating you.

Vocational rehabilitation does not cost you anything, and Keva pays you while you are in vocational rehabilitation.

Are you eligible for vocational rehabilitation?

Vocational rehabilitation may suit you if

illness or injury means that you could be at risk of having to be on disability pension in the next few years
you have been working for several years
despite your illness or injury you can do some work
you are of working age
you have earned at least €41,143.38 (at the 2024 level) during the preceding five calendar years, in addition, you are required to have received earnings from employment or have looked after your child during the three calendar years preceding the application.

First raise the matter at your workplace

First talk with your employer or occupational health physician about your work ability. Ask to consider together how you can continue to cope better in your job.

If you are unable to continue in your present job, think about which occupation or job you could be better suited for than your current job.

Ask your employer or occupational health physician to find out whether vocational rehabilitation supported by Keva would be suitable for you.

Vocational rehabilitation comes in many forms

The aim of vocational rehabilitation is to help you to find work that is better suited to your health.

Vocational rehabilitation takes place through work or studies. Below, we have listed more details about the various forms of rehabilitation, one of which may suit you.

Work trials

Work trials take place at the workplace. A work trial allows you to try out what job suits you. You can also learn how to do new tasks.

Plan the work trial with your employer and occupational healthcare. Agree on the tasks and how the new tasks will be taught to you.

You need to also agree on how long the work trial will last. Work trials can last a maximum of six months. If the job requires further training, the work trial can continue as job coaching. The working hours can be 4-8 hours a day. It’s advisable to begin the work trial with shorter working hours and then gradually increase them. The number of working hours does not affect the rehabilitation benefit amount.

Before starting your work trial, consult your employer about whether you can continue working as an ordinary employee if the new job suits you. During the work trial, your employer and occupational healthcare will assess whether the new job suits you.

Fill in a rehabilitation application in the My Pension service (in Finnish and Swedish). If you already have a decision on the right to vocational rehabilitation, select the application plan for vocational rehabilitation. Otherwise, fill in the rehabilitation application.

Fill in the information on your work trial in the rehabilitation plan section. Enclose your occupational healthcare negotiation memorandum.
Go to the My Pension service

You will receive a decision on reimbursement for a work trial from Keva in about three weeks. If your application is accepted, you will receive a separate decision on rehabilitation benefits.

Job coaching

Job coaching takes place at the workplace – either with your current employer or a new employer. During job coaching, you will learn the knowledge and skills needed in the new job through on-the-job learning. The purpose of job coaching is to return to work life after the coaching in a job that is suitable for you.

Plan the job coaching with your employer. Also agree on what new knowledge and skills you need to learn in order to cope in the job.

Job coaching usually lasts 3-18 months, depending on how many new things you need to learn. Agree on the length of the job coaching with your employer.

Fill in an application in the My Pension service (in Finnish and Swedish). If you already have a decision on the right to vocational rehabilitation, select the application plan for vocational rehabilitation. Otherwise, fill in the rehabilitation application.

Enclose the job coaching plan you have made together with your employer.
> Go to the My Pension service

You will receive a decision on reimbursement for job coaching from Keva in about three weeks.

Education

Keva can support studies if you are unable to find suitable work through a work trial or job coaching.

Before applying for education, find out first whether you can receive rehabilitation support from Keva. Discuss your education plans with your rehabilitation instructor from Keva, to ensure that Keva can support your plans.

The degree should prepare you for an occupation that is suitable for your health. Your new occupation should also be one that you can continue to work in for as long as possible. We primarily offer support for full-time studies.

Education may take place in a vocational college or university of applied sciences, or occasionally a university, and last a maximum of four years. You can only receive support for one degree, and the studies must take place in Finland. Apply for a study place through the general study place applications.

After receiving confirmation that you have a study place, fill in the application for vocational rehabilitation in the My Pension service (in Finnish and Swedish). Enclose your acceptance letter from the educational institute.

You will receive a decision on reimbursement for studies from Keva in about three weeks. Please note that during the summer processing times may be longer.

Apprenticeship training

Apprenticeship training is a practical way to study and acquire a more suitable occupation. You need to have a job for apprenticeship training. Most of the training takes place on the job, performing work tasks. In addition, you may complete part of the training as studies organized by an educational institute.

Consider first what kind of job you are interested in that would be suitable for your health. Find out from your current employer whether it would be possible to complete an apprenticeship training in your current workplace. You can also complete an apprenticeship training with another employer.

After this, contact a local educational institute/apprenticeship office. Then you can make an apprenticeship agreement together with your employer and the local educational institute/apprenticeship office.

Apprenticeship training usually lasts around 1-3 years.

Fill in the information on your apprenticeship training in the rehabilitation plan section. Enclose your apprenticeship agreement confirmed by the apprenticeship office as well as your employment contract for the training.
Go to the My Pension service

You will receive a decision on reimbursement for apprenticeship training from Keva in about three weeks.

Services of a rehabilitation instructor

If you don’t know how to find a new job or occupation yourself, a rehabilitation instructor can help you. A rehabilitation instructor can also be called a rehabilitation planner or career counsellor. Regardless of the name, the service is the same.

A rehabilitation instructor will help you see new professional opportunities. The service includes a few meetings, either in person or virtually.

Before the service, Keva will issue a preliminary evaluation on what rehabilitation method Keva can support.

Based on this preliminary evaluation, you can start to make a more detailed plan together with your rehabilitation instructor and look for a suitable work trial place or training. Your health, competence, interests, and possibilities for employment are also considered.

The rehabilitation instructor will keep Keva updated on the progress. Finally, the rehabilitation instructor will recommend your plan to Keva. Keva will then evaluate whether it is possible to support the plan.

After you have received a favourable decision on the reimbursement of your rehabilitation from Keva, you can begin your work trial, training, or other rehabilitation method.

Apply for rehabilitation instructor services through the My Pension service

Familiarise yourself with the service providers for Keva’s rehabilitation instructor services and select one
Fill in the rehabilitation plan application in the My Pension service and select ”Kuntoutusohjaajan palvelu suunnitelman laatimiseen”.

If Keva offers you rehabilitation instructor services, Keva will send you a favourable decision and order the service.

After this, the rehabilitation instructor will contact you within two weeks.

Rehabilitation instructor services are free of charge.

How to access vocational rehabilitation

1. You need a medical statement B before applying

If you have a job

Before applying for vocational rehabilitation, ask your occupational healthcare to arrange a joint meeting with you and your employer. This meeting is known as an occupational healthcare negotiation.

Ask the physician to write:

a medical statement B concerning your state of health
a memorandum of the occupational health negotiation.

If you do not have a job

Before applying for vocational rehabilitation, discuss the kind of work that would suit you and how you can get it with the physician treating you. Ask the physician to write a medical statement B concerning your state of health.

2. Apply

Apply for vocational rehabilitation via the My Pension online service.

Send the medical statement B from your physician and the memorandum of the occupational health negotiation to Keva with your application.

Then ask your employer to complete the ”Työnantajan lausunto työssä selviytymisestä” form (Employer’s statement on coping at work).

3. You receive a decision from Keva

After this, Keva will process your application and you will receive a decision after around three weeks.

The decision will tell you whether Keva will grant you vocational rehabilitation and how much cash or rehabilitation benefit you can receive from Keva during rehabilitation.

4. Next make a rehabilitation plan

Before vocational rehabilitation and cash payment can begin, you still need to send Keva a rehabilitation plan, which Keva needs to approve.

The rehabilitation plan is where you tell what you intend to do during rehabilitation, for example work trial or job coaching. Your employer or career coach can help you make your rehabilitation plan.
Complete the rehabilitation plan application in the My Pension service.

5. Rehabilitation starts

You receive a decision from Keva on the rehabilitation plan. After this, rehabilitation can start and Keva will begin to pay you rehabilitation benefit.

If your rehabilitation application is rejected, your options are:

Arrangements made by your employer. Contact your occupational healthcare and supervisor.
Kela’s rehabilitation options. Find out if you are eligible for rehabilitation reimbursed by Kela.
Studies with unemployment benefit. Contact work force services.
Appeal the decision. The decision will include instructions on how to appeal a decision.

Money matters during rehabilitation

Keva will pay you rehabilitation benefit, i.e. rehabilitation allowance or cash rehabilitation benefit, and a rehabilitation increment during your rehabilitation.

You can estimate beforehand the amount you will get during vocational rehabilitation in the My Pension service “Eläkelaskurit > Työkyvyttömyyseläke ja kuntoutusraha-arvio” (in Finnish and Swedish).

Rehabilitation benefit is taxable income, and you need to get a separate tax card for this from the tax office.

The payment of rehabilitation benefit begins once your work trial, job coaching or studies have begun. Rehabilitation benefits also accrue pension.

Reimbursement of expenses

If you incur expenses because of your rehabilitation, Keva can reimburse some of these. Costs may be incurred, for instance, from travel or study materials. You can read more about the reimbursement of expenses on the page Reimbursement of expenses.