Damned if you do, damned if you dont

Monday 23rd of June, 2003 – Permalink

As mentioned earlier I am going to go on forced (unpaid) leave from work during this summer. In a situation like this I'm entitled to uneployment benefits... but there is a catch. I have to jump through numerous bureaucratic hoops to get my benefits, and they're no small hoops by any means.

The organization at hand is the department of labour. To be able to get my benefits I have to supply them with a proof of forced leave, proof of having worked for X weeks (can't remember the time) and a bunch of other stuff. This all makes sense. Here comes the fun part: I'm enrolled at Helsinki University. Due to this I have to get the University to produce proof that I'm not studying full time, even though I'm working full time. Basically I'm being penalized for working, paying taxes and wanting to improve myself at the same time.

It seems to me that the authorities would like us to lead linear lives:

  1. Go to school
  2. Get a degree, determining your profession
  3. Work, pay taxes
  4. Retire
I just don't get it. If I'm working full time and continuing to work after my forced leave, what's the problem? I'm paying taxes, isn't that enough? Why is educating yourself and working at the same time a problem? Sure, I would get more studies done studying full time, but isn't it my choice how I live my life? I'm not sure I'm ever going to get a degree, but surely me educating myself is a positive thing, even without a degree? One is left to wonder...