1. Purpose of the Rules
2. Definitions
3. Remuneration scheme
4. Principles for determining basic salary
5. Establishment of the terms and conditions of remuneration
6. Payment of additional remuneration
7. Payment of performance reward
8. Payment of bonus
9. Payment of salary and remuneration for annual leave and its calculation
10. Implementation of the Rules and supervision
11. Annexes to the Rules
12. Implementing provisions
Annex 1 Staff Categories and the Corresponding Salary Grades
Annex 2 Minimum Salary Rates
Annex 3 Assessment of Chief Officers and Requirements for Employees
Annex 4 Assessment of Officers and Requirements for Employees
Annex 5 Assessment of Office Assistants and Requirements for Employees
Annex 6 11.6 Assessment of Skilled Workers and Auxiliary Staff and Requirements for Employees
The directive is issued pursuant to clause 11 of § 11 of the Statutes of Tallinn University of Technology.
1. Purpose of the Rules
1.1 The Remuneration Rules (hereinafter the “Rules”) establish the principles and procedures governing the remuneration of employees of Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter the “university”).
1.2 The Rules shall be applied in conjunction with the Employment Contracts Act and other legislation governing remuneration, the university’s collective agreement, and the remuneration agreement set out in an annex to the collective agreement.
1.3 The purpose of the Rules is to ensure fair remuneration by providing that an employee’s remuneration is determined on the basis of the value of the work performed in the position and the employee’s work performance.
1.4 As a rule, no legal relationships other than an employment contract shall be established with an employee in respect of employment.
1.5 The university shall determine the remuneration of employees on the basis of the following principles:
1.5.1 The average salary in Estonia, changes therein, and developments in the average remuneration for comparable positions in the labour market shall be taken into account. In determining the remuneration for academic positions, the university aims to maintain its position as the highest-paying university in Estonia.
1.5.2 In order to ensure security for employees and to strengthen its reputation as a stable employer, the university shall increase the proportion of fixed monthly salary in employees’ remuneration.
1.5.3 Remuneration shall be determined taking into account the complexity of the employee’s work, the extent of the employee’s contribution, the uniqueness of the employee’s competencies, and the level of remuneration for comparable positions within the university and in Estonia.
1.5.4 Where different methods of calculating remuneration result in differing outcomes, the method more favourable to the employee shall be applied, provided that such an approach can be implemented for all employees at reasonable information system upgrade costs.
1.5.5 Each employee is entitled, once per year, either during an annual appraisal interview or in a separate remuneration discussion, to receive an overview of the remuneration levels applicable to the employee’s position and the basis for determining his/her remuneration.
2. Definitions
For the purposes of these Rules, the following terms shall have the meanings set out below:
2.1 ”additional remuneration” means remuneration paid by the employer to an employee in addition to the basic salary for the performance of temporary additional duties or in other cases provided for in legislation, the collective agreement, or the employment contract;
2.2 ”bonus” means a one-off payment awarded in recognition of an employee’s outstanding performance or significant contribution to the development of the university or a unit, as provided for in the provisions governing employee recognition established by the university or the unit;
2.3 “basic salary” means the fixed monthly remuneration agreed in the employment contract and amended by agreement of the parties; The parties may agree to temporarily increase the employee’s basic salary for a period not exceeding one year for duties of a variable nature.
2.4 “remuneration discussion” means a discussion between the employee and the head of the structural unit or the employee’s immediate superior regarding the basis for determining the employee’s basic salary, which takes place at least once per year, either during an annual appraisal interview or separately;
2.5 “performance reward” means a one-off payment awarded for the exceptional achievement of agreed objectives or for outstanding work performance, in accordance with the terms set out in these Rules;
2.6 “employer’s representative” means the Rector or an authorised representative of the university who exercises the rights and performs the obligations of the employer;
2.7 “work performance appraisal” means the evaluation of an employee’s work performance during the period preceding the appraisal, carried out in accordance with the established procedure and on the basis of performance indicators agreed in advance with the employee, and conducted during the annual appraisal interview and attestation;
2.8 “employee” means a natural person employed by the university under an employment contract;
2.9 “representative of employees” means a representative elected by the trade union (TacTech Professionals Union);
2.10 ”salary grade” means a classification reflecting the value of a position, to which a fixed minimum salary rate is assigned;
2.11 ”minimum salary rate” means the fixed basic salary corresponding to a salary grade and a unit of time, below which it is not permitted to agree in the case of full-time employment;
2.12 ”remuneration agreement” means an agreement between the university and the representative of the employees concerning minimum salary rates;
2.13 ”terms and conditions of remuneration” means the salary rates, the basic salary paid to employees, and the method of calculation and procedure for the payment of remuneration.
3. Remuneration scheme
3.1 The remuneration scheme for non-academic staff comprises the following components:
3.1.1 basic salary;
3.1.2 additional remuneration;
3.1.3 performance reward;
3.1.4 bonus.
4. Principles for determining basic salary
4.1 The Rector shall establish the minimum salary rates in accordance with the remuneration agreement.
4.2 An employee shall be informed of the determination of his/her basic salary by the head of the structural unit or by the immediate superior authorised by the head of the structural unit.
4.3 The basic salary shall be agreed having regard to the following:
4.3.1 the staff category, the corresponding salary grade, and the minimum salary rate for that salary grade (Annexes 1 and 2) and, in the case of non-academic staff, the results of the employee’s assessment (Annexes 3–6);
4.3.2 the sector-specific nature of the position;
4.3.3 the salary levels for comparable positions in the labour market;
4.3.4 the average salary for comparable positions at the university;
4.3.5 the employee’s contribution and initiative in exceeding the requirements of the position;
4.3.6 the employee’s qualifications and the uniqueness thereof.
4.4 Where a temporary increase in the basic salary is agreed for a period not exceeding one year, the following shall be taken into account:
4.4.1 the need to temporarily increase the employee’s workload and intensity of work;
4.5 The basic salary shall not be lower than the applicable minimum salary rate or a proportion thereof corresponding to the employee’s workload.
4.6 Where the basic salary is temporarily changed, the employee’s permanent basic salary shall also be specified in the employment contract.
4.7 Where an employee performs duties of different positions, the basic salary shall be based on the minimum salary rate of the higher salary grade.
5. Establishment of the terms and conditions for remuneration
5.1 The terms and conditions of an employee’s remuneration shall be set out in the employment contract.
5.2 The Rector shall agree on the terms and conditions of remuneration of area directors, deans and other employees directly subordinate to the Rector.
5.3 Area directors shall agree on the terms and conditions of remuneration of the heads of structural units within their area of responsibility and of employees directly subordinate to them.
5.4 A dean shall agree on the terms and conditions of remuneration of the heads of structural units within the dean’s school and of employees directly subordinate to the dean.
5.5 A head of a structural unit shall agree on the terms and conditions of remuneration of employees directly subordinate to the head of the structural unit. A head of a structural unit may delegate the agreement of the terms and conditions of remuneration to the employee’s immediate superior.
5.6 For the purpose of formalising an agreement, area directors, deans, and heads of structural units shall submit a proposal to the employer’s representative for establishing the employee’s terms and conditions of employment in the form of an employment contract or an annex thereto.
5.7 The terms and conditions of remuneration shall be agreed and documented in the employment contract or its annex in the month preceding their entry into force. By way of exception, changes to the terms and conditions of remuneration may be documented in the month of their entry into force if:
5.7.1 the financing agreement forming the basis for the remuneration is concluded in the same month;
5.7.2 the employment contract with the employee is concluded in the same month.
5.8 Project-based or fixed-term work forming part of the employee’s regular duties shall be reflected in the employee’s task and workload allocation and financing sources and shall be remunerated without changing the employee’s permanent basic salary. Where the content, responsibility, or scope of the employee’s duties changes significantly as a result of additional duties, the remuneration shall be formalised as a temporary change to the basic salary.
5.9 Where the basic salary agreed with the employee falls within the top 10% of salaries (i.e. above the 9th decile) for the salary grade applicable to the employee’s position, the remuneration shall be approved by the dean or the area director. The Human Resources Office shall disclose to the heads of structural units the top 10% salary levels for each salary grade, as of 30 September and 31 January, based on the basic salaries agreed in employment contracts.
5.10 The employee’s duties forming the basis for the use of a financing source for remuneration, the financing sources of remuneration, and the allocation proportions of such financing sources shall be approved by the head of the structural unit by way of a financial allocation decision.
5.11 Where a financial allocation decision includes financing sources requiring documentary evidence to substantiate the use of the source and the performance of the relevant tasks, the decision shall be communicated to the employee for information.
5.12 Where an employee receives remuneration for which eligibility must be demonstrated to the financier, timesheets shall, where necessary, be completed for the period during which additional duties are performed if additional remuneration is paid. A timesheet shall replace the project workload specified in the financial allocation decision.
5.13 Where a timesheet is used to record an employee’s working time, or where no documentary evidence of eligibility is required for the financing source specified in the financial allocation decision, the project workload need not be specified in the financial allocation decision.
6. Payment of additional remuneration
6.1 Additional remuneration shall be paid for the performance of temporary, short-term additional duties not agreed in the employment contract and not resulting in a permanent change in the content of the employee’s work or scope of responsibility.
6.2 The amount of additional remuneration shall:
6.2.1 correspond to the volume and complexity of the additional duties performed, or
6.2.2 be proportionate to the employee’s basic salary; or
6.2.3 in the case of continuing education, consultancy services provided to foreign partners, or expert assessments, be based on the market rate for comparable activities; or
6.2.4 comply with the price list established by the university.
6.3 As a rule, additional remuneration for a full-time employee shall not exceed EUR 1,000 per month.
6.4 Additional duties shall be considered short-term if they do not exceed five consecutive calendar months. If additional duties are performed for a period exceeding five months, the payment of additional remuneration shall be stipulated in the employment contract.
6.5 Additional remuneration shall be agreed prior to the commencement of additional duties. Additional remuneration shall be paid no later than the calendar month following the performance of the additional duties. Additional remuneration shall be paid from the funds allocated for that purpose in the structural unit.
6.6 Additional duties of the same nature or on the same basis must not be formalised as consecutive additional remuneration payments if their total duration exceeds five months.
6.7 Additional remuneration shall not be paid to supervisors for the successful defence of graduation theses.
6.8 Additional remuneration may be granted to an employee in accordance with a procedure approved by the head of the structural unit where the employee’s annual workload of contact teaching or supervision exceeds the workload set out in Annex 3 to the Work Procedure Rules.
6.9 The decision to grant one-off additional remuneration for the performance of additional duties shall be set out in a financial order.
7. Payment of performance reward
7.1 As a rule, a performance reward shall be paid to employees once per year from funds allocated for that purpose in the structural unit, on the following grounds:
7.1.1 achievement of objectives agreed with the employee at a level exceeding expectations or effective performance within the employee’s field of work,
7.1.2 significantly outstanding work performance; or
7.1.3 the successful initiation or implementation of activities contributing to the development of the university.
7.2 Where a period of employment of at least one year is taken into account in determining a performance reward, the performance reward shall not be less than the employee’s permanent basic salary for the month preceding payment.
7.3 The head of a structural unit shall submit to the dean or area director a written proposal, in the form of a financial order, for the payment of a performance reward to an employee, setting out the reasons therefor.
7.4 The Rector, dean, or area director shall make a decision on the granting of a performance reward.
7.5 The Human Resources Office shall verify that payment of the performance reward conforms to the rules. The employer’s representative has the right to review proposals for the payment of performance rewards.
7.6 The decision to grant a performance reward to an employee shall be set out in a financial order.
8. Payment of bonuses
8.1 A bonus shall be paid in accordance with the legislation governing the recognition and acknowledgment of the contributions of employees.
8.2 The university shall establish employee recognition systems aimed at valuing employees’ commitment, consistently high performance, and outstanding long-term contribution to the development of the university or a unit.
8.3 The principles of university-wide recognition are laid down in the Regulations on Acknowledgement and Insignia. Employee recognition systems within structural units shall be approved by an order of the head of the structural unit or the dean.
8.4 The acts on the basis of which bonuses are paid within structural units shall be approved by the Human Resources Office.
8.5 The decision to grant a bonus to an employee shall be set out in a financial order.
9. Payment of salary and remuneration for annual leave and its calculation
9.1 An employee’s remuneration shall be paid once per month to the bank account specified by the employee, in accordance with the terms set out in the employment contract, on the date specified in the university’s Work Procedure Rules. The university shall bear any costs arising from the transfer.
9.11 Remuneration for annual leave shall be paid no later than the penultimate working day before the leave begins or, by agreement between the employer and the employee, in instalments on paydays.
9.2 Remuneration for annual leave shall be calculated in accordance with the Regulation of the Government of the Republic “Conditions and Procedure for Payment of Average Wages”, as follows:
9.2.1 where the employee has received fixed remuneration during the six months preceding the calculation month, remuneration for annual leave shall be calculated on the basis of that fixed remuneration;
9.2.2 where the employee’s remuneration has varied during the six months preceding the calculation month, remuneration for annual leave shall be calculated on the basis of the average remuneration over those six months, unless the remuneration calculated in accordance with clause 9.2.1 is higher, in which case the higher amount shall apply.
9.2.3 Upon termination of the employment contract, the head of the structural unit may waive the recovery of remuneration for unearned annual leave.
10. Implementation of the Rules and supervision
10.1 The head of a structural unit shall be responsible for the implementation of the Rules within the structural unit and shall ensure that remuneration is substantiated and transparent and that employees are informed of the remuneration procedure.
10.2 The dean shall shape the remuneration policy of the school and shall monitor its implementation within the school. Where necessary, the dean may establish additional terms and conditions of remuneration in compliance with the Rules and may require compliance therewith.
10.3 The Human Resources Office shall exercise supervision over the implementation of the Rules and shall prepare surveys, analyses, and proposals for the relevant management staff.
11. Annexes to the Rules
The Rules include the following Annexes:
11.1 Staff Categories and the Corresponding Salary Grades (Annex 1);
11.2 Minimum Salary Rates (Annex 2);
11.3 Assessment of Chief Officers and Requirements for Employees (Annex 3);
11.4 Assessment of Officers and Requirements for Employees (Annex 4);
11.5 Assessment of Office Assistants and Requirements for Employees (Annex 5);
11.6 Assessment of Skilled Workers and Auxiliary Staff and Requirements for Employees (Annex 6).
12. Implementing provisions
13. The terms and conditions of remuneration agreed in existing employment contracts shall remain in force until amended by mutual agreement of the parties or until their expiry.
14. Upon amendment of employment contracts, structural units shall ensure that the terms and conditions of remuneration are brought into conformity with these Rules.
15. I hereby repeal the Remuneration Rules (approved by Rector’s directive No 30 of 31.08.2021, amended by Rector’s directive No 1 of 10.01.2022, directive No 6 of 27.01.2022, directive No 25 of 19.05.2022, directive No 55 of 03.11.2022, directive No 1 of 16.01.2023, directive No 47 of 18.12.2023, directive No 38 of 21.10.2024, directive No 41 of 19.11.2024, directive No 2 of 16.01.2025).
16. The directive shall enter into force on 1 April 2026.
Annex 1
to Remuneration Rules
Staff Categories and the Corresponding Salary Grades
| Staff category | Official title | Salary grada | |
| Academic positions | Tenured Professor | Full professor | 11 |
| Associate professor | 10 | ||
| Associate professor | 10 | ||
| Professor | Assistant Professor | 9 | |
| Professor of practice | 9−11 | ||
| Adjunct professor | 9−11 | ||
| Research professor | 9−11 | ||
| Lecturer | Senior lecturer | 9 | |
| Lecturer (PhD) | 8 | ||
| Lecturer | 7 | ||
| Researcher | Leading researcher | 11 | |
| Senior researcher | 9 | ||
| Researcher | 8 | ||
| Early stage researcher | 6 | ||
| Non-academic positions |
managing staff | ||
| Area Director | Vice-Rector, Area Director | 12 | |
| Dean | 11 | ||
| Head of Department | 10 | ||
| Head of an Administrative and Support Unit | 9 | ||
| officer | |||
| Chief officer | 6−8 | ||
| Officer | 4−6 | ||
| office assistant | 3−5 | ||
| skilled worker and auxiliary worker | 3−4 | ||
Annex 2
to Rules for Remuneration
Minimum Salary Rates
| Salary grade | Minimum salary rate for full-time employment (EUR) from 01.01.2026 |
| 3 | 983 |
| 4 | 1,092 |
| 5 | 1,263 |
| 6 | 1,608 |
| 7 | 2,256 |
| 8 | 2,764 |
| 9 | 2,958 |
| 10 | 3,150 |
| 11 | 3,406 |
| 12 | 3,527 |
Annex 3
to Remuneration Rules
Assessment of Chief Officers and Requirements for the Employees
Chief Officer – a leading specialist in his/her field whose duties include the development and supervision of employees and/or the management of work processes. The position requires a high degree of specialisation, as well as the ability to analyse, prevent and resolve problems, and to cooperate /coordinate work in the field.
| No | Requirements | Salary grade | ||
| 8 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1. | Management | People, processes and resources | People and/or processes | People and/or processes |
| 2. | Development of the field | Primary responsibility | Primary responsibility | Key secondary responsibility |
| 3. | Liability | Overall responsibility
Field/speciality |
Overall responsibility
Field/speciality |
Overall responsibility Field/speciality/the specific position |
| 4. | Scope of impact | University-wide and external | University-wide or at unit/area level | At unit/Area level |
| 5. | Complexity, novelty, diversity of tasks | All attributes apply | All attributes apply | All attributes apply |
| 6. | Education | Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification | Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification | Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification |
| 7. | Skills | Foreign language proficiency at C1 level
Good computer skills Very good cooperation skills |
Foreign language proficiency at B2level
Good computer skills Very good cooperation skills |
Foreign language proficiency at B2 level
Good computer skills Very good cooperation skills |
Annex 4
to Remuneration Rules
Assessment of Chief Officers and Requirements for the Employees
Officer − independently ensures the operation and development of defined processes and resolves problems.
| No | Requirements | Salary grade | ||
| 6 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1. | Management | Processes | Processes | Processes |
| 2. | Development of the field | Primary responsibility or key secondary responsibility | Key secondary responsibility | Secondary responsibility |
| 3. | Liability | Overall or shared responsibility
Field/speciality |
Shared responsibility
Field/speciality or position |
Shared responsibility
Position |
| 4. | Scope of impact | University-wide or at unit/area level | At unit/area level | At unit/area level |
| 5. | Complexity, novelty, diversity of tasks | All attributes apply | At least 2 attributes apply | At least 1 attribute applies |
| 6. | Education | Higher education | Higher education | Secondary (vocational) education |
| 7. | Skills | Foreign language proficiency at B2 level
Good computer skills Very good cooperation skills |
Foreign language proficiency at B1 level
Good computer skills Good cooperation skills |
Foreign language proficiency at B1 level
Computer skills Good cooperation skills |
Annex 5
to Remuneration Rules
Assessment of Office Assistants and Requirements for Employees
Office Assistant – duties include the collection, storage, and processing of information, as well as clerical and secretarial work, simple financial operations, and the provision of information services. The role is aimed at ensuring the effective operation of defined processes or the performance of specific functions.
| No | Requirements | Salary grade | ||
| 5 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 1. | Instruction of employees | Organisation/coordination of work | − | − |
| 2. | Provision of assistance to clients | Duty of significant importance | Duty of significant or minor importance | Duty of minor importance |
| 3. | Level of discretion | Moderate | Moderate or low | Low |
| 4. | Complexity, novelty, diversity of tasks | Moderate | Moderate or low | Low |
| 5. | Education | Higher education | Secondary (vocational) education | Secondary (vocational) education |
| 6. | Skills | Foreign language proficiency at B1 level
Good computer skills Good cooperation and communication skills |
Foreign language proficiency at A2 level
Computer skills Cooperation and communication skills |
Foreign language proficiency at A2 level
Computer skills Cooperation and communication skills |
Annex 6
to Remuneration Rules
Assessment of Skilled Workers and Auxiliary Staff and Requirements for Employees
Skilled worker and auxiliary worker – duties consist of relatively simple and repetitive tasks involving limited or moderate novelty and variety and may, depending on the position, include the use of complex tools. The role is aimed at the skilled and timely performance of specific tasks or operations.
| No | Requirements | Salary grade | |
| 4 | 3 | ||
| 1. | Instruction of employees | Organisation/ coordination of work |
– |
| 2. | Level of discretion | Moderate | Moderate or low |
| 3. | Complexity, novelty, diversity of tasks | Moderate | Low |
| 4. | Education and work experience | Speciality-related vocational education and work experience | Speciality-related vocational education |