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WORKING IN NORWAY

The key things you need to know about employment contracts in Norway

All employees in Norway must have a written employment contract, regardless of whether they are full-time or not. Here are a few key things to look out for with your contact.

Published: 1 July 2024 11:56 CEST
Pictured is a work contract in Norway.
There are a number of key things to know before putting pen to paper on a Norwegian working contract. Pictured is a work contract in Norway. Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

Along with relatively high wages compared to other countries and a healthy work-life balance, employee rights are one of the things that make a career in Norway attractive.

One thing that helps with employee rights is that every employee needs to be presented with a contract, and an employer can be punished with hefty fines for failing to do so.

Essentially, the contract secures both the employer and employee. Norway’s employment laws were changed in July 2024, meaning workers must receive a written employment agreement within one week of starting their job.

What information must be included in the contract has also been changed to try and provide employees with more security and rights and to ensure a more predictable working environment.

What should a Norwegian working contract contain

All work contracts must contain the name of the employee, employer, and workplace in addition to a description of the work they will be doing. If the worker will need to work at different locations or has the opportunity to be flexible with remote work, then this must be stated.

The contract should describe the worker’s role and working hours, outline breaks, and indicate whether the position is temporary or permanent.

Any probation period needs to be stated in the contract. Typically, probation is limited to six months.

Information on holidays, holiday pay, and the rules for taking a holiday should also be outlined.

Furthermore, the contract should include the salary, when wages will be paid, any other supplements, pension payments, or overtime, and the payment method.

Notice periods for termination should also be included, and the process by which the employer and employee can end the work agreement should be described.

If you are working for a staffing company, you must include the name of the staffing company and the company hiring from the agency.

There should also be a description of the right to skills development and training that the employee will have access to.

Other benefits will also need to be stated in the contract, and any information about how collective agreements affect the employment relationship will need to be outlined, which should include the names of the parties involved in the collective bargaining agreement.

The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s website provides an overview of everything that should be included in a contract. It also has several example contracts available in different languages. However, at the time of writing, these example contracts are not 100 percent up to date with the new regulations, which came into effect on July 1st, 2024.

Signing the contract

When it comes to signing the contract, you will need to check the details between it and the job offer and make sure everything aligns.

Furthermore, new employees also have the right to ask a union rep or staff representative for help when drafting or amending a work contract.

The contract should be signed by both parties. The Labour Inspection Authority also recommends that both parties involved in the contract signing put their initials on each page to highlight that they agree to the content on each page.

What to look out for

You will need to brush up on some of the more important aspects of Norwegian working law.

This is because employers cannot opt out of the law with contract clauses. For example, if a worker decides to work in a sector where there is a minimum wage (such as hospitality), they must be paid this wage regardless of whether the worker has consented to less.

Another example would be the rules on notice periods, probation and overtime. Workers cannot waive their right to overtime unless the worker is considered exempt from the overtime rules.

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Furthermore, as six months is the legal limit for probation, it cannot be extended any longer unless you were signed off work sick for some of the period. You must always keep a copy of your contract handy and not lose it.

What to do if you are involved in a contract dispute

If you have a well-written contract, had it checked by a staff representative before signing, and have checked the terms and conditions against what the law says, you shouldn’t run into many problems.

Another insurance policy is to always keep a copy of your contract, as some rogue companies give one contract with illegal terms and conditions to workers who might not know better but a second legal contract to show the authorities in case of inspection.

READ ALSO: How foreign workers can be exploited in the Norwegian labour market

Still, if you do have issues, you can go down two avenues. The first is reporting any potential illegality of your work agreement to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.

They will punish the employer if the contract or other working conditions are illegal.

They cannot, however, solve individual employer-employee disputes. For this, you would need to contact a lawyer or union representative.

Union members will benefit more as the union can approach the employer on their behalf and get access to free legal aid. If the situation escalates, it may need to go through the courts, which could be a very costly and time-consuming process.  

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For members

WORKING IN NORWAY

Why do Norwegians take such long summer holidays?

Summer in Norway sees offices nationwide come to a standstill as workers head out on three-week-long holidays. Have you ever wondered how summer holidays of at least three weeks became so popular?

Published: 5 July 2024 11:48 CEST
Why do Norwegians take such long summer holidays?

Offices, cafes, shops, salons, and plenty of other business close for a few weeks in July, with other things such as public services becoming much harder to reach until the end of the month or beginning of August.

This is referred to as “fellesferie” or the “joint” or “collective” holiday when translated into English. Given how many take the holidays, large parts of Norway can feel surprisingly empty during the summer.

Syden is the affectionate Norwegian term to describe the Mediterranean destinations that are typically popular, although many will also choose to holiday in Sweden, Denmark, or a cabin in rural parts of Norway.

READ ALSO: How to enjoy summer in Norway like a Norwegian

When did Norwegians start taking such long holidays?

The practice dates back to the interwar years in Norway when employers and employee organisations agreed on a three-week collective holiday period.

This ended up being a win/win situation for both parties. For the companies, it was more practical and profitable to let all the workers take holidays at the same time and close their operations down completely.

The workers were allowed to enjoy time off when Norway typically expects (but doesn’t always get) its best weather.

The scheme made its way into other industries through collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining agreements have played a massive role in developing workers’ rights in Norway and continue to play an important role today.

Three-week-long holidays written into law

Workers’ rights in Norway are best described as a result of tripartite cooperation where employers, employee organisations and the government work together on matters regarding employment in the country. This is also referred to as the ‘Norwegian Model’.

This model has led to high levels of union membership in the country. Furthermore, the model has filled in gaps where there aren’t laws. For example, there is no universal minimum wage in Norway, the law only covers minimum wages in a handful of sectors.

Instead, unions strike collective bargaining agreements that cover minimum wages, working hours and conditions, and salary increases on behalf of members. Some non-members can also benefit from these to ensure that non-members don’t undercut workers in unions.

Sometimes, collective bargaining agreements covering working rights can lead to legislation later down the light. The right to annual leave in Norway began to develop around 1900, through union deals, but later through law.

Norway has its own Holiday Act these days. Under the law, workers in Norway have the right to at least 25 days of holiday per year. Some workers are entitled to more through their collective bargaining agreement.

Much like the initial right to holiday, the law was updated to allow more workers to enjoy a summer holiday. The Holiday Act means employees can demand up to three consecutive weeks off between the start of June and the end of September.

This means that even companies that do not shut up shop for the summer holidays will see large parts of the workforce disappear.

The other ten days of the year can be taken whenever you wish and can be used up in blocks or used individually.

Employers also have rights during fellesferie and can require employees to take a holiday during this period if the business reduces or closes operations during the “main holiday period.”

Workers can only refuse to take a holiday during this period if the holiday pay they have earned so far will not cover the loss of income during the holiday.

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