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WORKING IN NORWAY

EXPLAINED: What you should know if you want to quit your job in Norway

Leaving a job is always a challenging decision to make. However, if you decide to take that route, it helps to be familiar with the resignation rules in Norway and the potential impact it could have on your residence rights.

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In most cases, your employment will not end on the day you quit. Photo by Rodeo Project Management Software on Unsplash

In Norway, an employment relationship ends when either the employee or the employer submits a written notice of termination to the other party.

There are strict rules in place that regulate what this termination of employment should look like and how it should take place for both sides involved.

In most cases (if we’re talking about standard, indefinite employment contracts), your employment will not end on the day you resign.

You’ll need to fulfil your obligations in line with your notice period, which is set forward in your employment contract or your collective agreement (if one applies to you).

In this guide, we will cover all the key things you should know both before and after quitting your job in Norway.

READ ALSO: The probation period rules new employees in Norway need to know

The notice period

For most employees in Norway, the resignation process is governed by the Working Environment Act (Arbeidsmiljøloven). However, if you’re a government employee, some parts of the Civil Service Act (Statsansatteloven) will also be relevant.

In Norway, there are no formal requirements that relate to employee resignations, except for the fact that the resignation must be submitted in writing.

However, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) advises employees to hand in their resignation notices to their employer in person or by registered post. By doing so, you’ll avoid any uncertainty in the future about your resignation date or notice period.

As for the notice period, its duration changes based on how long the employee has been employed and the age of the employee.

The notice period regulations also apply to temporary employees if they end their employment relationship before the end of the contract. If your contract doesn’t set forward guidelines on the duration of the notice period, the following timeframes will apply:

Notice period

The standard duration framework for the notice period in Norway. Screenshot: Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority

If you resign on your own accord, know that the notice period will always be at most three months.

Generally speaking, the notice period runs from the first day of the month following the month in which you give notice to your employer.

So, if you submit your resignation notice to your employer on August 15th, the notice period will run from September 1st.

You can find more details on the specifics of notice periods in Norway on the webpage of the Labour Inspection Authority.

Can I apply for unemployment benefits?

Even if you quit your job, you’re allowed to apply for unemployment benefits in Norway.

It’s important to be aware of several restrictions:

Ideally, you should apply for unemployment benefits one week before the last day you’re entitled to get a salary from your employer. In order to avoid losing days on unemployment benefits, you must, at the latest, apply for them on the day when you’re no longer entitled to a salary at your old workplace.

As the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) points out on its website, if you had reasonable cause to resign from your job (such as being unable to continue in your job due to health issues or having experienced harassment in the workplace), you’ll get unemployment benefits from the first day you’re eligible for them.

However, if you did not have reasonable cause to resign from your job, you will not get unemployment benefits for the first 18 weeks after quitting.

In any case, you’ll need to apply for unemployment benefits. After you apply, the NAV will assess whether you had reasonable cause to resign (know that they will require documentation supporting your claim of reasonable cause).

Am I entitled to a reference?

By law, once you carry out your notice period, you’re entitled to a written reference from your employer.

As a minimum, the reference should state your name, date of birth, the nature of the work you carried out, and the duration of your employment.

What to do if a dispute arises?

In the event of conflict or disagreement regarding your resignation or notice period, you should seek legal assistance. If you’re a member of a labour union, it’s also a good idea to consult them.

If you need general guidance on the regulatory provisions that apply in your case, you can also contact the Labour Inspection Authority.

Could it impact my residency? 

If you hold a work permit there are a number of steps you will need to take after you leave your job. The first step is to notify the police in your area within seven days. After that, you can stay in Norway for up to six months to look for a new job.

If you already have a new role lined up, you may need to apply for another work permit. This is if the role and duties are different to the job you initially held. 

If you succeed in getting a new job but are going to work in the same type of position as before, you do not need to apply for a new residence permit.

Still, you need to notify the police in your area within seven days after you start working at the new job.

Other residence types are largely unaffected by a potential resignation. If you are unsure about how a change of jobs could affect your residence contact the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). 

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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.

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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