A construction company is suspected of having exploited their workers who have been unaware of the applicable working hour laws and collective contract terms. The company has made the employees work very long hours , with no weekly rest days or increments of pay. Moreover, the workers have been forced to refund part of their pay to the employer.
In September 2021, the Police and the Regional Government Authority performed an inspection at an apartment building construction site in Lahti.
The inspection resulted in a suspect that the construction company is making its foreign workers work excessive daily hours at its site. On several days a week, the workers have toiled without having their weekly rest days or pay increments. The workers have also had to give part of their pay back to the employer. It is suspected that the wages not paid to the workers amount to almost three hundred thousand euro.
– The Police has started pre-trial investigation in the case. During the investigation, we have found that the company focused on is suspected of having exploited the workers’ lack of understanding and knowledge of the Finnish working hour legislation and collective contract terms, Detective Chief Inspector Joni Kokkonen of the Itä-Uusimaa Police Department reports.
The pretrial investigation focuses on the years from 2019 to 2021. During this period, the company has employed both Finnish and foreign workers.
