Trade Union JHL

Level pay system is under way in wellbeing services counties

Wellbeing services counties’ HYVTES and SOTE agreements include agreeing on the implementation of a level pay system as well as timing of pay increase allowances in years 2025–2026.

The pay system of wellbeing services counties is going to transform in the coming years, when a so called level pay system is implemented as part of the collective agreement for the welfare sector (HYVTES) and the SOTE agreement. The level pay model is already implemented in the general collective agreement for the municipal sector (KVTES).

National orders regarding the new level pay systems will be issued in December 2025, and local-level preparations start in January 2026.

The implementation will happen at the latest in October 2026 for the SOTE agreement and the beginning of the year 2027 for the HYVTES agreement. The changes will become effective also for the HYVTES agreement retroactively from October 2026.

Schedules change, some pay increase allowances will be paid retroactively

The schedules of the agreements’ pay increase allowances have changed, and development allowances are moved out by about a year.

The development programme allowance pay increases of the HYVTES agreement (1%) and the SOTE agreement (2%) will be paid from October 2026. Originally, they were going to be paid from November 2025.

Employees will receive their agreed pay increases despite the schedule change. During the deferral period (1 Nov 2025–30 Sep 2026), employees will be paid a temporary, percentage-based pay supplement.

The percentage-based pay supplement will be paid in five phases during the transition period.

Holiday bonuses and compensation for work performed outside regular working hours will be included when these supplements are calculated.

In such special situations as partial sickness allowance or family leave, the calculation is based on what the full pay without the absence would be.

If employees are temporarily laid off, the pay supplement will be paid despite the lay-off, but it will not be paid during other unpaid time off work.

The centralised development programme allowance of the HYVTES agreement that was going to be paid on 1 November 2025 will change as well. The size of the allowance is 0.4%. It changes into a locally negotiated increase allowance and will be paid from March 2026 onwards. The pay increases will, however, be paid retroactively from November 2025.

To mirror this, the local development programme allowance of 1 October 2026 will change into a central-level allowance. The size of the allowance is 0.4%.

The local adjustment allowance of the agreement period, 0.2% on 1 October 2026, remains as is.

The progress of preparations and the implementation schedule of the pay system reform of HYVTES appendix 7 (technical and rescue sector) will be reviewed in September 2026. The preparations of the reform in this sector have not advanced in the same schedule with the rest of HYVTES.

Timeline of the HYVTES and SOTE agreements

November 2025

  • The original local allowances (HYVTES 1% and the SOTE-agreement 2%) move out; the allowances will be paid from 1 October 2026.
  • The centralised allowance of the development programme in HYVTES, 0.4%, is changed into a locally agreed allowance, which will be paid from March 2026, retroactively from this month (November 2025).

December 2025

  • Percentage-based pay supplement is paid, calculated from the pay of November.
  • National agreements on the level pay systems of the HYVTES and SOTE agreements.

January 2026

  • Local-level preparations start in both agreement sectors.
  • Percentage-based pay supplement is paid, calculated from the pay of December.

March 2026

  • The allocation and payment of the local development programme allowance of the HYVTES agreement (0.4%) become effective retroactively from 1 November 2025.

April 2026

  • Percentage-based pay supplement is paid, calculated from the pay of January–March.

July 2026

  • Percentage-based pay supplement is paid, calculated from the pay of April–June.

September 2026

  • The schedule and payroll percentages of HYVTES appendix 7 are reviewed at the latest in September 2026.

October 2026

  • The new effective date of the local allowance (HYVTES 1% and SOTE-agreement 2%) (pushed out 1 Nov 2025 → 1 Oct 2026).
  • The local development programme allowance of HYVTES, 0.4 %, is changed into a central-level allowance.
  • The local adjustment allowance of the agreement period, 0.2%, becomes effective.
  • Percentage-based pay supplement is paid, calculated from the pay of July–September. Paying percentage-based pay supplement ends.
  • The level pay system of the SOTE agreement is implemented at the latest now.

January 2027

The level pay system of the HYVTES agreement is implemented at the latest now (retroactively from 1 October 2026).