Working Conditions

All employees must have a written contract of employment. This applies to all types of employment, both permanent and temporary appointments. There are no exceptions to this requirement.

An employment relationship is terminated by either the employer or employee submitting a written notice of termination.

The main rule is that employees shall be engaged permanently. A written contract of employment shall always be entered into regardless of the period of employment and the scope of the post.

Everyone is entitled to at least 25 working days holiday each year. From 60 years of age, you are entitled to one additional week.

There is no general minimum wage in Norway. Wages are subject to agreement between the employer and the employee as part of the written employment contract.

A temporary lay-off, or temporary redundancy, is a temporary scheme where the employee is ordered not to come to work, while the employer is relieved of its obligation to pay a salary. The employment relationship persists, and it is a condition that the cessation of work is temporary. 

The Working Environment Act defines working hours as time when the employee is at the disposal of the employer. The time the employee is not at the disposal of the employer is referred to as off-duty time.