“This is now the seventh time that we are using our salary development programme to provide our professionals with an additional salary increase. It is important for us to keep our salaries competitive to make the City an attractive employer to both current and future talents. For example, we have adjusted the salaries of the customer service specialists of Employment Services to make the City an attractive employer in this important sector as well,” comments Mayor Juhana Vartiainen.
Salaries to be increased particularly in the care and social welfare sector and at Employment Services
This year, the salary development programme provides salary increases to City employees such as registered nurses, public health nurses, social workers, playground personnel in early childhood education and care, and the customer service specialists of Employment Services. Increases are also granted to the technical workers of the Urban Environment Division, such as urban planning specialists and project managers. More than 4,500 employees will receive a salary increase.
This time, the salary development programme also benefits all City employees in the form of an increase to the sports, culture and wellbeing benefit.
“I am glad that we have once again been able to increase the salaries of our personnel in a way that is unique in this municipal field. Granting increases to different personnel groups every year enables us to further increase the City’s attractiveness as an employer in many different sectors. This time, we found it important to also use these funds to support the wellbeing of our professionals through increasing our personnel benefits,” says HR Policy Director Joanna Brady-Bister.
The salary development programme is part of the City’s annual financial assessment process
The City of Helsinki salary development programme is part of the City’s financial assessment process. The City Council decides on the budget for the salary development programme annually. The objective is to systematically improve the salary level to make the City an attractive employer to both current and future talents. The programme was launched in 2019, and the sum available each year varies.
Helsinki allocates resources to rewarding its personnel
The City also rewards its employees for good work performances. Helsinki has reserved a separate budget for granting personnel one-off bonuses throughout the year. A hefty 1.5% of the personnel salary sum for the entire year has been reserved for this year’s one-off bonuses.
In addition to their salaries, the entire personnel benefits from the City’s system of personnel benefits. To complement their salary and potential bonuses, City of Helsinki employees are provided with extensive personnel benefits, such as a lunch benefit and a sports, culture and wellbeing benefit, as well as a work commute benefit, a bicycle benefit, physical activities for employees and a personnel fund. Additionally, our employees benefit from a major employer’s sizeable investments in the quality of working life, such as occupational wellbeing, personal development and training.