SOTE agreement’s pay system has been reformed

The pay system under the SOTE agreement applied in the wellbeing services counties has been reformed. The transition to the new level pay system took place on 1 October. This reform is significant because it has rendered the old method of assessing the demands of a job obsolete.

We will be holding a members’ webinar on the new level pay system on 27 October from 17.00 to 18.00.

In this webinar, we will explain e.g. the changes that have taken place. We will also be looking at how the new level pay system will, in the future, affect the pay of Tehy members working in wellbeing services counties.

Pay will be determined by placing different tasks at different tiers based on the level of competence and responsibility required to perform them.

In the level pay system, these tasks are assigned to various pay groups. Each pay group comprises three to four competence and responsibility tiers. Specific criteria have been defined for each of the different pay groups. In addition, the pay groups also include national competence and responsibility criteria.

Pays will not be reduced

Employees in the same pay group and at the same level must receive the same pay. Furthermore, any pay discrepancies arising from this transition to the new level pay system must be rectified within a reasonable period of time.

No one’s pay may be reduced as a result of the transition to the new system.

As a general rule, the current job-specific salaries will become level pay salaries.

A new component of the pay package is level-based bonuses. An employee or a public official may be entitled to more than one level-based bonus.

Supervision of students reflected in pay

The agreement also includes new mandatory bonuses. For example, a level-based bonus will be paid for acting as a supervisor to a student or a temporary supervisor to a social worker. The euro amounts of the bonuses will be negotiated locally.

This means that supervising students will now be reflected in pay if the supervisory role lasts at least two consecutive weeks.

The designated supervisor bears primary responsibility for providing the student with goal-oriented guidance, conducting initial discussions, carrying out assessments, organising any competence demonstrations and documenting them, as well as cooperating with the teacher.

The level pay system is included in the collective agreement of the social welfare and health care sector (the SOTE agreement, in Finnish).