Private Social Services Collective Agreement SOSTES

In the private sector, the SOSTES agreement applies social sector service units, such as private housing services for the elderly and disabled, mother-and-child homes and shelters, home services, and various social and health care organisations.

A collective agreement in the private social service sector is universally binding, which means that even an employer that is not a member of an employers’ association is obliged to comply with it. The private social services sector employs around 72,000 employees. SuPer is the largest employee organisation in the industry.

SOSTES 2026–2028

The agreement period is 28 months from 1 January 2026 to 30 April 2028.

The parties commit to jointly reviewing the economic situation and outlook of the sector in December 2026. Either party may terminate the collective agreement to end on 30 April 2027.

Pay increases 2025–2027

1 September 2026

• General and pay-scale increase 2.7%
• Minimum pay-scale rates will be increased by 0.5% in all other pay grades, except for pay grade B, care assistants, where the increase will be 0.4%.
• Service-based increments will be harmonised so that:
  • the 5-year service-based increment is at least 3%
  • the 8-year service-based increment is at least 6%
  • the 11-year service-based increment is at least 9.1%.

The total cost impact of these targeted adjustments is 0.7%.

1 September 2027

• General and pay-scale increase 2.7%

Other increases

1 September 2026

• Shop stewards and occupational health and safety officers +6,1 %
• Alarm supplement and language supplement +6,1%

Pay tables (in Finnish)

SOSTES-taulukkopalkat 2026–2027, kuukausipalkat ja tuntipalkat (pdf)

Improvements and clarifications to agreement text

Improvements and clarifications have been made to the text of the collective agreement, for example in relation to promoting equality.

An employee is entitled to pay during pregnancy and/or parental leave even if they begin family leave while on statutory study leave under the Study Leave Act, provided that the employee would have been entitled to pay during family leave under the collective agreement had they been at work.

As part of their joint equality work, the negotiating parties have agreed to cooperate in monitoring the use of fixed-term employment contracts and the impact of any legislative changes on employment relationships in the private social services sector. The negotiating parties consider it important that sector-wide practices related to equality are reviewed regularly.

SOSTES 2023–2025

The collective agreement defines the applicable private social sector salaries and other terms and conditions of employment. The solution includes improvements that increase well-being at work, and it also agreed on a project to develop the leverage and attractiveness of the private social service sector.

Collective agreement for the private social services sector 2023–2025

PDF