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WORKING IN NORWAY

Working in Norway: How to resolve disputes with your employer

Working in Norway comes with many perks, but it may not always be smooth sailing between you and your employer. Here's how you can resolve issues at work. 

Published: 1 September 2022 17:01 CEST
Updated: 10 July 2023 14:04 CEST
Pictured is an office.
These are the ways you can try and resolve a dispute in Norway. Pictured is an office. Photo by Mario Gogh on Unsplash

Whether it’s the high wages, flat corporate structure, or work-life balance, many end up moving to Norway for a job. 

However, things don’t always pan out the way they should, leading to you and your employer not seeing eye-to-eye. 

Being a foreigner can make these disputes even more distressing as you may not know typical working practices and the labour laws in Norway. 

To begin with, it’s worth knowing that disputes with your employer will generally fall into two categories. These are disputes at work or issues surrounding a dismissal. 

For dismissals, a justified basis must be presented, and there are strict rules for terminating employment in Norway. In addition, employees in Norway are protected against unfair dismissals by Norwegian law. 

Issues with the working environment come from everything from how you are treated by your employer, the hours you work and the salary you are paid. 

When beginning to address an issue you have with your employer, one of the best things you can do is familiarise yourself with your rights as a worker. 

You don’t need to be an expert on employment law or fluent in Norwegian, either. The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet), the government agency for ensuring the Working Environment Act is maintained, has an overview of workers’ rights on its website. 

On the site, you can get a basic overview of your rights regarding the working environment, your work hours, contracts and wages. The information is available in several languages, including English. 

What can you do to resolve disputes?

When you have an issue with your employer, you should first approach your manager or the human resources department to raise the issue and outline the problem you are having. 

From there, you can present and discuss your issues with your employer or the working environment. It is advisable to keep a record of all correspondence, conversations and incidents in relation to your issue, should the problem escalate and you wish to take further action later on. 

If you are a union member, then your place of work will likely have a tillitsvalgt (trustee/trade union representative) that can present your complaint to your employer on your behalf. 

Unions play a huge role in working life in Norway, with almost two million people being a member of unions, according to Statistics Norway. If you aren’t a member, it may be worth joining one.

In some cases your union or employer will bring in a mediator to help resolve the conflict in an orderly manner. 

If your rights protected by law are being violated, you can also contact the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. The inspection authorities can be contacted on (+47) 73 19 97 00 or through the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s service for foreign workers. 

Once you have raised a violation of legal workers’ rights with the inspectorate, it will conduct an investigation or inspection of the workplace, either announced or unannounced. 

You can also opt to take your employer to court if you feel that your rights have been infringed, that you have been unfairly dismissed, or if you think that the issue you brought up wasn’t addressed appropriately. This will be a time-consuming and costly process. Before proceeding with legal action, it is worth consulting with an employment lawyer or union representative to determine whether this will be a worthwhile course of action.  

One thing to note is that, unfortunately, Norway doesn’t have the equivalent of an employment tribunal process.

Legal fees will be covered by your union if you are a member and decide legal action is the best course of action. However, you cannot ask for legal support if you were not a union member prior to the issue arising or legal proceedings being taken.

Therefore, you shouldn’t wait until there is a problem to join a union and should instead be a member as an insurance policy that will cover you if there are any issues with your job further down the line. One drawback to being a union member is the fees, though. 

Should your mental health and wellbeing be affected by the conflict, you can be signed off from work by your doctor. And finally, in some cases the issue won’t be able to be resolved in an orderly manner meaning that you may need to begin the hunt for a new job instead. 

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For members

NORWAY EXPLAINED

What are the rules for taking annual leave in Norway?

If you've just started working in Norway or if you've been employed in the country for a while but need clarification on its annual leave rules, this is what you need to know.

Published: 15 May 2024 12:41 CEST
What are the rules for taking annual leave in Norway?

While annual leave isn’t among the top reasons people usually decide to move to Norway and work there, it is an important component of Norwegian work and social culture.

Compared to some other European countries, Norway has quite a generous annual leave policy, which ensures that workers have enough time to rest and recover from the stress of their jobs.

READ MORE: How to maximise Norway’s public holidays in 2024 – five essential tricks

The basic annual leave quota – and holiday pay

As an employee in Norway, you have both a right and a duty to take your annual holiday, and every employee in the country is entitled to at least 25 working days of annual leave each year.

This quota includes Saturdays as working days, which equates to approximately four weeks and one day of holiday per calendar year (Sundays and public holidays are not counted as working days).

When it comes to holiday pay, workers need to accumulate their holiday pay rights in their first year of employment.

Thus, as the amount of holiday pay you get is a collective monthly percentage of what you have made in the past year, you will not have earned holiday pay if you were not employed the previous year. 

However, you are still entitled to take leave days.

If you want to learn more about how holiday pay works in Norway, check out The Local’s explainer on the issue.

Collective agreements and additional holidays

While the minimum quota of 25 days of holidays is in place, employees can get even more holiday days than this legally required minimum.

Many workers in Norway are entitled to a five-week holiday through a collective agreement or separate agreements with their employer. This extra time off is often accompanied by an increased holiday pay rate.

Furthermore, if you’re nearing retirement, you’re in luck, as all employees aged 60 or over are entitled to an extra week of holidays.

Airport

You should discuss your holiday schedule with your employer well in advance – be sure to do so before booking a vacation outside of Norway. Photo by Hanna Kretsu on Unsplash

How to schedule and take leave in Norway

Per Norwegian laws, employers must ensure all employees take full annual leave.

It’s a good idea to have a chat with your boss about your holiday plans well in advance.

If you can’t agree on dates, your boss gets the final say on when you can take time off.

But don’t worry, in Norway, you’re guaranteed at least three weeks of continuous vacation time between June 1st and September 30th.

If you prefer, the rest of your holiday days can also be lumped together without any breaks.

Note that your boss can ask you to give them a heads-up about your vacation plans at least two months beforehand.

The relevant sections of the Norwegian Holiday Act, available here and here, provide more details on holiday scheduling and duration.

What you need to know about fellesferie 

The term fellesferie is used for the collective vacation period or general staff holiday period that many Norwegian companies stick to, typically occurring in July.

The concept of fellesferie is a tradition – companies aren’t legally obligated to adhere to it – but, in practice, you’ll find that may do. The Local has an entire article on how this tradition started and what makes it special.

How do holidays work if you’re ill – or on parental leave?

Of course, special situations and life events may also occur during or before your holidays.

If you fall ill before or during your leave, you may have a right to a new holiday – or to postpone your holiday.

Should you become sick before your holiday, you can ask your employer to postpone it until later in the holiday year.

You’ll need to get a medical certificate to prove that you’re ill and submit an official request for postponement by no later than the day before the holiday starts.

The right to defer or be granted a new holiday only applies to the statutory holiday period.

As an employee, you have the right, but not an obligation, to take statutory holidays during the period of leave when you receive parental benefit.

If you choose to defer it, the leave will be deferred by a period corresponding to your holiday.

Can I carry leave days forward – or take my leave in advance?

If you reach an agreement with your employer, you can also carry forward up to two weeks of the statutory holiday to the following year.

Similarly, you can also take up to two weeks of your holiday in advance.

However, make sure to check your employment contract (and collective agreement, if you fall under one), as the rules concerning the carrying forward of holiday and advance holiday may be set differently based on these contracts.

READ MORE: What is a Norwegian collective bargaining agreement?

If you have an agreement that allows you to have extra holiday days on top of the statutory holiday quota, you can also agree with your employer that these additional holidays can be carried forward to the following year.

If you’re changing jobs, know that if you do not take your holidays during the current year before your employment ceases and move to a new employer before September 30th of the same year, you will be entitled to take your remaining holiday with your new employer.

For more information on the specifics of the holiday rules in Norway, consult the Norwegian Holiday Act (available in English).

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