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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

OSLO

What commuters need to know about travel in and out of Oslo

Living outside Oslo is considerably cheaper and has other perks, too, such as a more relaxed pace of life. As a result, commuting into the capital has become increasingly popular.

Published: 20 June 2024 11:36 CEST
What commuters need to know about travel in and out of Oslo

Rent and house prices have seen more people decide to live outside Oslo and commute in for work.

There are several other reasons, besides money, that people would want to commute into the capital. They may have flexible working hours and prefer to live in a quieter location.

They may also want to live closer to nature or, if they have children, be closer to their children’s extended family.

Still, there are quite a few things you should know about commuting in and out of Oslo.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about Norway’s commuter tax deductions

What are the pros?

In other cities, London is an example, and it’s not uncommon to hear stories of workers who commute two hours into the city each day.

Even some people living in large cities like Tokyo, London, and New York will spend an hour each way just getting across the city to work.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case in Oslo. Given how small the city is and the different transport options available, long commutes really don’t need to be the case when living outside of Oslo.  

Trains from towns like Ski and Lillestrøm can reach Oslo in 10 minutes. Even if you head a bit further out to Asker, the train only takes 20 minutes, while from Drammen, the commute is about 30 minutes.

A bit further out, the commute from Drobåk can be done in around 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the train from Kongsberg takes just over an hour.

There are also plenty of options, there is a pretty robust network of busses ferrying workers into Oslo Bus Terminal everyday, there are regional trains, many choose to drive, and there are even ferries across the Oslofjord you can choose to take. 

The other pros, as we’ve mentioned, are being able to live in a calmer environment, being closer to nature, and saving money on rent or mortgage payments.

What are the costs?

For most, public transport may well end up being the way they get to work, as in some cases it can be quicker than driving.

Given how common toll roads are, the cost of running a car, when you also take into account fuel and insurance, can add up.

It’s also hard to put an estimate on the cost of running a car as it will depend on the fuel economy, route you take, distance your drive and whether the car needs regular repairs.  

The commuting cost for public transport will be easy to calculate if you live in the Akershus region. This is because public transport firm Ruter is responsible for the Akershus, which surrounds Oslo.

Essentially, the cost of a ticket (when using Ruter’s yearly travel ticket) ranges between 15,894 for two zones, 22,845 kroner for three zones, and the same for travel across all zones.

When using the train with Vy, the cost of a season pass in areas where Ruter operates is the same as that of Ruter.

Given that Oslo is the most expensive area to rent, the money you save on rent is unlikely to be eaten up by the cost of a rail ticket.

Are there any downsides?

Yes. The main issue for those commuting in and out of Oslo via train is punctuality. In recent years, train traffic has become much less punctual, and services have been heavily affected by signal failure.

More than 700 signal failures have occurred over the past five years, according to figures from network rail operator Bane Nor.

Such failures are most common when traffic from Oslo Central Station is at its peak, such as rush hour.

During the first six months of 2024, around 76 percent of rush hour trains have been on schedule, which is well below the target of 85 percent.

Capacity has also been an issue. Despite how frequently the trains run, they can still be overcrowded during peak hours.

There are plans to address this, as double-decker trains will be introduced in the coming years on regional trains in eastern Norway (these are trains that carry the R designation). However, these plans don’t provide an immediate solution to the issue, as they may not be in place for another 5-6 years.

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