Part of the Scandinavian peninsula, Norway is a Northern European country bordered to its east by Sweden. While it has a constitutional monarchy, political power resides with its prime minister and Parliament. It is a member of the European Economic Area and maintains close ties to the European Union. Norway maintains the Nordic welfare system of universal social security, healthcare, and education while promoting ideals of egalitarianism in all walks of life.
The Norwegian economy is significantly advanced with its petroleum industry accounting for a quarter of its GDP. On a per-capita basis, Norway is the largest producer of oil and natural gas outside of the Middle East. Norway also has consistently ranked amongst the world’s happiest countries with the highest human development index, with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
Its history is primarily known for its Viking Age, a period characterized by expansion and emigration by the legendary seafarers. Not only did they colonize many parts of Europe, but they were also known to have come as far west as what is now Newfoundland in Canada.
According to the Working Environment Act of Norway, an employment contract is signed for a permanent term unless otherwise agreed upon. Employees who have been employed temporarily for more than 3 consecutive years are deemed permanently employed. Permanent employment is continuous and not time-limited, and the employee has ensured predictability of employment in the form of a specified amount of paid working hours. Either party can terminate permanent employment by giving a written notice.
Norway mandates the conclusion of employment contracts in writing. Employment contracts lasting longer than 1 month must be signed within 7 days of the employee beginning work. If the employment contract is for less than 1 month, the contract must be signed immediately.
The contract must include the following information:
Identity of the employee and the employer
Place of work
Description of work and the job title of the employee
Date of commencement of the employment
Duration of the contract for temporary or fixed-term employment
Provisions for the probation period
Holidays and holiday pay
Notice period requirements
Employee remuneration
Weekly working hours
Length of breaks
Information concerning any collective agreements regulating the employment relationship
Scope of training and skills enhancement policies
Social Security benefits and details
Fixed-term contracts may be established in 5 circumstances:
If the work is temporary
If the worker is hired to work as a trainee
If the worker is hired to cover another employee temporarily
If the worker is an athlete, trainer, referee, or other leader in organized sports
If the worker is participating in labor market schemes or collaboration with the Labour and Welfare Service
Temporary employment contracts can be renewed. If an employee has been temporarily employed for more than 3 consecutive years, the employee is deemed to be permanently employed.
Employers can hire temporary employees through temporary work agencies. The agency shall ensure that the employees it hires out are at least given the conditions that would have applied if the employee had been recruited directly by the user undertaking to perform the same work regarding working hours, pay, holidays, etc.
Under Norway's labor law, probationary periods for permanent workers can last up to 6 months. For temporary workers, the trial period may not exceed half the duration of the employment relationship.
Employers may only dismiss employees hired under a written contract during the probationary period if the termination is due to the employee's lack of suitability for the work, proficiency, or reliability. A notice of at least 14 days is required for dismissal during probation unless the parties previously agreed otherwise in writing or with a collective pay agreement.
Hours of Work
Norway's Working Environment Act sets standard working hours at 9 hours per day and 40 hours per week. Employees who work over the standard working hours are eligible for overtime pay. Working hours are reduced for the following categories of employees:
9 hours per day or 38 hours per week for employees involved in semi-continuous shift work or jobs that require them to work at least every third Sunday or work principally performed at night
9 hours per day or 36 hours per week for employees who work in continuous shift work or work in mines, tunneling, or blasting of rock chambers
For young persons between 15 and 18 not attending compulsory education, working hours shall not exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. There are different work-hour regulations for those attending school.
Home Office Regulations
Norway requires that the employer and employee enter into a written agreement concerning working from home (unless working from home is ordered or recommended by Norwegian authorities). The general rules on working hours in the current Norwegian employment law apply to work-from-home arrangements. The Labor Inspection Authority is authorized to supervise the home office regulations.
Employers must give employees an annual leave of 25 working days each calendar year. Working days are defined as all non-Sundays, statutory weekends, or public holidays. Employees over 60 years of age are entitled to 6 extra days of leave. An employee who turns 60 during the calendar year shall be given extra leave of six working days. If the extra leave is divided, the employee can only demand to take as many working days off as they normally have during a week.
An employee who joins no later than September 30 in the calendar year is entitled to full annual leave (25 working days). An employee who joins after this time is entitled to an annual leave of six working days.
A written agreement can be entered into on the termination of an advance holiday of up to 12 working days and the transfer of up to 12 working days holiday to the following holiday year. Advance holiday and transfer of holiday beyond this can not be agreed.
In Norway, employees who have worked for the employer for at least 2 months are entitled to self-declared sick leave (i.e., notifying their employer that they cannot work due to illness without presenting a medical certificate). Self-declared sick leave can be used for up to 3 calendar days at a time and 4 times in 12 months.
If an employee is sick longer than the time allowed by the self-declaration, they must present a medical certificate from a doctor.
Loss of income due to illness may entitle an employee to sickness benefits if they have been employed for at least 4 weeks before sick leave begins. Employees are entitled to sickness benefits for a maximum of 52 weeks. A self-declaration or a medical certificate must document the illness. Employees are entitled to sickness benefits from their first day of absence. The employer pays the sickness benefit for the first 16 days, after which the Norwegian National Insurance scheme takes over. Benefits are calculated on income up to a maximum of 6 times the basic amount, but employees earning above this limit are still entitled to receive sickness benefits on income up to the ceiling. Effective May 1, 2026, the annual basic amount is set to NOK 136,549 (Norwegian kroner).
In Norway, a pregnant employee is entitled to a leave of absence for up to 12 weeks during her pregnancy. After childbirth, the mother takes a leave of absence for the first 6 weeks of the post-birth period unless she produces a medical certificate stating that it is preferable that she resume work.
Pregnant employees can receive maternity benefits from the time they have to stop working until 3 weeks before their due date. The pregnancy benefit can be up to 6 times the basic amount in the National Insurance system. In addition to these, the mother is also eligible for parental benefits that she can withdraw starting 3 weeks before the birth and up to 6 weeks after the birth.
The parental benefit period ranges for a single birth from 49 weeks (15 weeks are reserved for each parent) with 100% wage coverage to 61 weeks and 1 day (19 weeks are reserved for each parent) with 80% wage coverage. The parental benefit is calculated in the same way as sickness benefits. The maximum benefit is equivalent to 6 times the National Insurance Basic Amount annually, regardless of whether the parent's income is higher.
Leave rights related to having a child mean that parents, together, are entitled to take leave until the child attains 3 years of age. The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service (NAV) pays the first year. To ensure staffing predictability, the employer can demand that the leave be taken as a continuous period.
Under Norway's law, fathers are entitled to 2 weeks' leave of absence to help their child's mother after childbirth. If the parents do not cohabitate, another individual assisting the mother may exercise the right to leave of absence.
Adoptive and foster parents have the right to a 2-week leave of absence when the child first comes into their care. This does not apply when adopting stepchildren or when the child is over 15.
Fathers are entitled to parental leave benefits. The parental benefit period ranges for a single birth from 49 weeks with 100% wage coverage to 61 weeks and 1 day with 80% wage coverage. In the case of a twin birth or multiple adoptions, the benefit period is extended to 66 weeks of 100% benefits or 82 weeks and 2 days of 80% benefits. If a father or co-mother only has a right to parental allowance or solely cares for the child, then the allowance changes.
The parental benefit is calculated in the same way as sickness benefits. The maximum benefit is equivalent to 6 times the National Insurance Basic Amount annually, regardless of whether the parents' income is higher.
Norway requires employers to provide a written notice period to employees before dismissal, according to the following:
1 month notice for employees who have been employed with the organization for less than 5 years
2 months' notice for employees who have been employed with the organization for over 5 years but less than 10 years
3 months' notice for employees who have been employed with the organization for at least 10 years
4 months for employees above 50-54 years who have been employed with the organization for 10 or more years
5 months for employees above 55-59 years who have been employed with the organization for 10 or more years
6 months for employees above 60 years who have been employed with the organization for 10 or more years
Employers may dismiss employees hired under a written contract during the probationary period if the termination is due to the employee's lack of suitability for the work, proficiency, or reliability. A notice of at least 14 days is required for dismissal during probation unless the parties previously agreed otherwise in writing or with a collective pay agreement.
If the employer's notice is not given in writing or does not include the required information, and the employee institutes legal proceedings within 4 months from the date that notice is given, the notice shall be ruled invalid unless exceptional circumstances make this unreasonable. If the notice is invalid, the employee may claim compensation.
There are no mandatory severance benefits in Norway. However, employees may seek financial redress through the courts if they believe they have been unfairly dismissed. Employers may decide on severance pay before making employees redundant, and collective or individual agreements can provide for extraordinary severance pay.
