The TyEL contribution and contribution category for large employers

As a large employer, the amount of your earnings-related pension contribution is affected by the size of your company, the work ability of your employees and the discounts you receive. Cases of disability affect your company’s TyEL contribution through the contribution category. Colloquially, contribution category may also be referred to as pension contribution category or TyEL contribution category.

Looking for information on these?

1. When is my company a large employer?
2. Large employer’s TyEL contribution
3. Contribution category
4. Costs of disability for the employer
5. When does disability not affect the TyEL contribution and the contribution category?
6. Situations of change

When is my company a large employer?

The wages paid by your company two years ago determine whether you are a large employer or a small employer; if your company’s payroll exceeded EUR 2,337,000 in 2023, you will be a large employer in 2025, whereas if the payroll was below this limit, you are a small employer.

The payroll limit used to determine large employer status changes annually, and you can check the payroll limits on our website. Additionally, if your company’s payroll varies on both sides of the limit, your company may be a small employer and a large employer in successive years.

What does my large employer’s TyEL contribution consist of?

As a large employer, your TyEL contributions is affected by

Basic TyEL contribution
Contribution category
Administrative cost
Your client bonus
Contribution loss discount

The amount of the TyEL contribution is determined on the basis of the actuarial principles approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. More information on the structure of the TyEL contribution

As a large employer, can I influence the amount of my company’s TyEL contributions?

When you take care of your employees’ work ability, you reduce their risk of becoming disabled. At the same time, you can save on your TyEL contribution.

To help you manage work ability risks, we provide work ability services, which include a learning environment, surveys, situational picture and the My Expert service. You will obtain information and practical tools for managing work ability risks and managing your employees’ work ability.

What is the contribution category?

As a large employer, a contribution category is determined for your company annually. Colloquially, the contribution category may also be referred to as the pension contribution category or TyEL contribution category. The contribution category is taken into account in the calculation of the disability pension part of your company’s TyEL contribution.

The contribution category is determined in advance for each year on the basis of the insurance information of each pension company. If your company has insurance policies in several pension companies, each pension company determines the contribution category for your company. In such a situation, your company may have several different contribution categories at the same time.

As our customer, you can see your company’s TyEL contribution percentage and contribution category by logging in to our online service. You can also view an estimate of your future TyEL contributions and generate estimates of future contribution categories.

How does my company’s contribution category affect my TyEL contribution?

The contribution category affects the amount of the disability pension component of your company’s TyEL contribution. There are 11 contribution categories in total:

  • In contribution categories 1–3, your disability pension component is lower than average.
  • In contribution category 4, your disability pension component is average.
  • In contribution categories 5–11, your disability pension component is higher than average.

The extent to which your company’s contribution category affects the amount of the TyEL contribution depends on the size of your company. The larger your company is, the more your contribution category will affect your TyEL contribution.

More information on how the size of the company affects the weight of the contribution category.

How do you determine my company’s contribution category?

We determine your contribution category based on your company’s disability risk. The higher your company’s disability risk, the higher your company’s contribution category. Your company’s disability risk is increased by disability pensions and rehabilitation benefits granted to your employees.

What are the costs of disability pensions and cash rehabilitation benefits for the employer?

Disability pensions and cash rehabilitation benefits granted to your employees increase your company’s disability risk. They generate pension expenditure that affects your company’s contribution category and, consequently, the TyEL contribution. You contribute to your employees’ disability pensions and cash rehabilitation benefits as part of your company’s TyEL contribution.

You can check the disability pensions and cash rehabilitation benefits affecting your company’s contribution category and their pension expenditure in our online service.

Which disability pensions and cash rehabilitation benefits do not affect the contribution category?

Not all disability pensions and cash rehabilitation benefits granted to your employees affect the contribution category. In certain cases, we need more information from you as an employer about your employee’s situation so that we can disregard their pension in your company’s contribution category. In some cases, we automatically disregard it.

How do situations of change affect my company’s TyEL contribution and contribution category?

 

If you transfer your company’s TyEL insurance to us in full or in part, the contribution category of your former pension company and the information affecting it will be transferred with your insurance. We will determine your contribution category taking into account the details of all your company’s insurance policies from us. More about transfering your company's TyEL insurance to us.

  • If your new insurance policy from us begins on the first day of the year, your new contribution category will take effect immediately from that date.

  • If your new insurance policy begins at another time, your new contribution category will take effect at the beginning of the following year. The contribution category determined by your previous pension company is valid until the end of the current year.

Situations of change in business operations may also affect your company’s contribution category. More about situations of change in business operations.