ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the Belgian and Danish models of extended leave are presented. They have been the prototypes in developing job rotation leave in Finland. The chapter describes the interest of Finnish employees and employers in job rotation leave is analysed by using representative national data from the years 1994 and 1996. It explores the extent and characteristics of employees on leave and their replacements are described by using register-based data collected by the labour administration. The chapter explains the experiences of employees on leave, their replacements and employers are studied by using representative data from a postal questionnaire in autumn 1996. In the 1990s, with high unemployment rates, the debate on the links between unemployment and working time has emerged in Finland, too. The career break principle lays down that the worker who takes it must be replaced by an unemployed person on unemployment benefit.
