Working life in Norway

Notes: Values for real GDP per capita are chain-linked volumes (based on 2010 data; €). The unemployment rate for men and women is the annual average as a percentage of the active population aged 15–74 years, and the youth unemployment rate is the annual average as a percentage of people aged 15–24 years. The employment rate for men and women is the annual average as a percentage of the active population aged 15–64 years, and the youth employment rate is the annual average as a percentage of people aged 15–24 years. GDP, gross domestic product.

Sources: Eurostat [sdg_08_10], for real GDP per capita and percentage change 2012–2022; [une_rt_a], for unemployment rate by sex and age; [lfsi_emp_a], for employment rate by sex and age.

Economic and labour market context

Mainland Norway’s gross domestic product (GDP) generally grew steadily between 2012 and 2022, but there was a decrease in 2020 of 1.3% due to the pandemic. In 2021, GDP rose by 3.9%, while in 2022 it grew by 3.6% (Statistics Norway, undated-a). Norway experienced high inflation, but the Central Bank of Norway (Norges Bank) raised the policy rate several times in 2022 to lower and stabilise inflation. The employment rate is high, and since the pandemic the unemployment rate has been very low. While economic activity was better than expected in 2022, the Norwegian economy is facing a slowdown. High inflation and increased interest rates are expected to reduce the purchasing power of households.

Legal context

The Working Environment Act (Arbeidsmiljøloven) is the main piece of legislation concerned with the rights of individual employees. The act establishes the general requirements with regard to the working environment, including health and safety. It also regulates matters such as employment protection, whistle-blowing, employee rights in relation to transfers of undertakings, working time, and information and consultation rights of employees.

The Labour Disputes Act (Arbeidstvistloven) includes rules for mediation and the use of the Labour Court to resolve disputes related to collective agreements and industrial conflicts in the private and municipal sectors. For the state sector, the Civil Service Disputes Act (Tjenestetvistloven) regulates collective bargaining and procedures for mediation and arbitration. Basic agreements formed by trade unions and employer organisations complement Norwegian labour law by defining overall aims and a set of principles and procedures that regulate the relationship between the labour market parties in all sectors.

Industrial relations context

The collective bargaining system was formed at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and the first national collective agreement was signed in 1907. A statutory framework was put in place in 1915, and the first basic agreement between the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO) and the Norwegian Employer Confederation (Norsk Arbeidsgiverforening, NAF) was concluded in 1935.

The Norwegian industrial relations system is centralised. Strong confederations on both the employees’ and the employers’ sides, together with the national trade union federations and employer organisations, play an important role in collective bargaining. Industry-level collective agreements dominate, but they are supplemented by company-level negotiations under peace clauses in large parts of the private sector.

Collective bargaining is based on the frontrunner or trendsetting industries model. The rationale is that the framework for wage increases is determined by price increases in the international export markets and productivity increases in the export industries. In addition, currency rates influence the competitiveness of the export industries, and monetary policy and changes in it are important factors in the model. Public institutions are important in the coordination process.

Impact of COVID-19 on industrial relations

Despite uncertainty related to the possible impact of measures to control the COVID-19 virus on industrial relations, the annual collective bargaining rounds were completed as usual. In 2020, bargaining was postponed until the autumn but was then undertaken in line with the frontrunner model. The aim of the frontrunner model is to bring wage increases in all industries in line with manufacturing industry, which is exposed to international competition. The calculated wage growth indicated that it was difficult to estimate the expected firm-level wage increases in the manufacturing sector. Furthermore, the increased sales revenues in the retail trade led to bonus payments that brought industry wage growth well above the norm set by the frontrunning industries. However, overall bargaining and outcomes were as usual, and even heavily affected industries such as the hotel and restaurant sector had the same wage increase. In 2021 and 2022, Norway saw some strikes, especially in the public sector. During a 14-week strike in 2022, teachers voiced their discontent with their wage levels and increases. Government intervention forced an end to the strike.

Trade unions, employer organisations and public institutions play a key role in the governance of the employment relationship, working conditions and industrial relations structures. They are interlocking parts in a multilevel system of governance that includes European, national, sectoral, regional (provincial or local) and company levels. This section looks at the main actors and institutions and their role in Norway.

Public authorities involved in regulating working life

The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion has administrative responsibility for the Working Environment Act and the Labour Disputes Act and for institutions such as the Labour Inspection Authority, the Labour Court and the National Mediator, and tripartite bodies such as the Norwegian Technical Calculation Committee for Wage Settlements and the Advisory Committee on Labour Market and Pension Issues. The role of these organisations is to facilitate coordination and to provide the regulatory framework for wage bargaining, as well as setting up institutions that can resolve disputes. Normally, state involvement in wage settlements is a matter for the government and the prime minister, and such decisions are made on an ad hoc basis and at the request of the bargaining parties. The organisations also intervene in labour disputes if they endanger life, health or society. In such cases, the Minister for Labour and Social Inclusion discusses the situation with the public authority responsible for the sector and, if life or health is endangered, the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision.

The Working Environment Act is divided into public law provisions enforced by the Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) and private law provisions enforced by the employee, usually supported by the trade union for unionised employees. In order to enforce their private legal rights, employees have to bring their case in front of a court. Collective agreements are enforced by the bargaining parties and brought to the Labour Court. For some provisions in the Working Environment Act, decisions are made by a committee known as the Dispute Resolution Board (Tvisteløsningsnemnda). However, its decisions can be appealed to the courts. Cases that can be put in front of the committee are related to working time, leave, priority rights for part-time workers, industrial democracy and duty of confidentiality for shop stewards in relation to information and consultation rights. The committee is composed of a neutral leader plus two employer representatives and two trade union representatives.

The Labour Inspection Authority is a government agency under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion. Its role is to ensure that enterprises comply with the public law regulations of the Working Environment Act through, for example, information, guidance and supervision. The inspectorate can approve working time arrangements that depart from the act, within limits. It also has tasks related to other acts. The inspectorate has an important role in the supervision of pay and working conditions in industries with generally applicable collective agreements.

Provisions in collective agreements can be extended to apply to all workers within an industry or a geographical area in accordance with the General Application Act. The decision to do so is taken by the Tariff Board (Tariffnemnda), which is an independent administrative body. It consists of five members – one chair, two neutral members and one member from each of the peak-level confederations of employers and trade unions. The aim of the act is partly to ensure that foreign employees’ terms regarding wages and employment are equal to those of Norwegian employees (Section 1-1).

Trade unions

About trade union representation

The right to join a trade union is protected by the Norwegian Constitution (Section 101), which covers all workers. There are four trade union confederations in Norway, and a few independent unions. All of these take part in negotiating collective agreements.. There is no Ghent system in Norway. Trade union density was 50% in 2021 (Nergaard, 2022). It has decreased slightly since the early 1990s, when it was 57%, but remained stable between 2012 and 2021 (Nergaard, 2022). (Data sources have changed since the 1990s, and survey data tend to produce a higher share than register-based data. The trade union density based on the 2017 Labour Force Survey data is 52%.)

Union density levels vary considerably between industries and sectors. Density is highest in the public sector and manufacturing industries. In parts of the private sector, a minority of employees are members of a trade union. In 2021, 25% of employees in the retail trade and 19% in the hotel and restaurant sector were unionised (Nergaard, 2022).

Trade union membership and density, 2012–2021

* Proportion of employees who are members of a trade union. ** Total number of trade union members (including self-employed workers and inactive union members – that is, students, retirees and unemployed people) at national level

Note: n.a, not available.

Main trade union confederations and federations

The LO is the largest trade union confederation, with 25 affiliated unions representing just under half of all unionised workers. The second largest confederation is the Confederation of Unions for Professionals (Unio), whose 14 member associations mainly represent professional groups in the public sector, including teachers, nurses, police officers and employees in research and higher education. The two other main trade union confederations are the Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikerne) and the Confederation of Vocational Unions (Yrkesorganisasjonenes Sentralforbund, YS). Akademikerne organises employees with higher education, including doctors, lawyers and technical professionals such as graduate engineers. The YS competes with the LO to represent many groups of workers but has traditionally had a larger proportion of white-collar workers in its membership base.

Norway’s largest trade union federation is the LO-affiliated Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees (Fagforbundet), followed by the LO-affiliated United Federation of Trade Unions (Fellesforbundet) and the Norway Union of Education (Utdanningsforbundet), which is a member of Unio.

Main trade union confederations and federations

Source: Nergaard (2022)

The number of trade unions has declined slightly over time. There were 132 national trade unions in 1975, but that number had decreased to 88 unions by 2013. The smaller trade unions in particular have disappeared, mainly through mergers. There have also been mergers between larger unions.

Employer organisations

About employer representation

Companies do not have to join an employer organisation but do so voluntarily. Companies can be members of an employer organisation without being bound by a collective agreement. Organisational density on the employer’s side in the private sector has increased somewhat over time. Whereas the employer density rate was estimated at around 50% in 1995 and was stable until 2000, it has increased since. In 2021, it was estimated at just over 70% in the private sector (Nergaard, 2022). Larger companies are more often members of an employer organisation than smaller companies, while the organisational density rate among smaller businesses is lower than among larger ones. If the public sector is included, the density is close to 80% (2017).

The increase in employer density has not led to a corresponding increase in collective bargaining coverage, indicating that many of the new members are not bound by collective agreements.

Employer organisation membership and density

Employer organisation membership and density, 2012–2021 (%)

* Percentage of employees working in an establishment that is a member of any employer organisation involved in collective bargaining.

Note: n.a., not available.

Main employer organisations and confederations

The largest employer organisation in the private sector is the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon, NHO). The NHO organises around 29,000 member companies, with about 668,000 workers in industries such as manufacturing and construction and parts of private services (Nergaard, 2020).

Main employer organisations and confederations

Source: Nergaard (2022)

Tripartite and bipartite bodies and concertation

Norway has a long tradition of different types of income policies and tripartite concertation. Such cooperation may take the form of social pacts, such as those made during the 1990s, or ad hoc government contributions to finalise negotiations. The social partners also cooperate on other, non-pay issues, such as the Inclusive Working Life Agreement (Inkluderende arbeidsliv), which was first concluded in 2001 and has been renegotiated and extended several times since.

Various bodies facilitate income policy cooperation and tripartite concertation. Employers and employees meet regularly in the government’s Contact Committee (Kontaktutvalget), where matters of importance for wage formation are discussed between the government and the labour market parties. Another important committee is the Advisory Committee on Labour Market and Pension Issues (Arbeidslivs- og pensjonspolitisk råd), established as a forum for the government and the labour market parties to discuss issues such as the labour market and pensions. Moreover, the Technical Calculation Committee for Income Settlements (Teknisk beregningsutvalg for inntektsoppgjørene, TBU) generates and presents statistics on wage developments and other relevant issues prior to the annual wage negotiations.

Employers and employees are also represented in a number of ad hoc public committees that handle matters that are relevant to working life.

Main tripartite and bipartite bodies

Workplace-level employee representation

The main channel of employee representation at workplace level is trade union representatives through a single-channel representation system. Different bodies are established at company level to facilitate dialogue between employers and trade union representatives (contact committees, works councils, etc.). Shop stewards have an important role in workplace representation and are consulted on matters that concern the workplace. They are elected by and among unionised employees in accordance with regulations in collective agreements.

Provisions in the Working Environment Act give employee representatives rights to information and consultation, both regarding general workplace matters and in relation to specific topics, such as part-time workers, agency workers and working time. Such representatives can be local trade union representatives or other representatives. The Working Environment Act also states that a health and safety delegate should be elected, as should representatives for a working environment committee.

The Norwegian legal framework provides employees with the right to be represented on company boards and in general assemblies. Normally, if a local branch of a trade union is established at company level, its board will take the initiative to draw up a list of potential candidates for elections to company boards. Cooperation may take place between trade union representatives and health and safety representatives in the company in a similar way.

At workplace level, health and safety delegates and working environment committees established by law also play an important role.

Regulation, composition and competencies of representatives or representative body

The central concern of employment relations is the collective governance of work and employment. This section looks at collective bargaining in Norway.

Bargaining system

The dominant level of bargaining is sector (or industry) level. Bargaining rounds are dominated by the trendsetting model for wage formation, which assumes that wage growth in the industries most exposed to international competition provides the framework for wage growth in other sectors of economic activity, including the public sector. The model presupposes a strong degree of coordination.

In most parts of the economy, a two-tiered bargaining system exists. Company-level negotiations in the private sector take place with no predefined economic framework, but are based on results and the economic prospects of the company. In the public sector, funds are set aside in central negotiations. Company-level negotiations take place after the central negotiations, and strikes are prohibited.

Industry-level collective agreements predominate and are legally binding for companies where they have been made binding. For companies that are members of employer organisations, the trade union normally has to organise a minimum of 10% of the employees in order for the company to be covered by a collective agreement.

Wage bargaining coverage

No exact figures are available concerning collective agreement coverage in Norway. Surveys (including the 2017 Labour Force Survey) among workers estimate the overall collective agreement coverage to be about 69%, but such surveys tend to exaggerate the actual coverage in the private sector. Estimates from register-based statistics suggest that around 63% of employees are covered by collective agreements. If we include the effect of generally extended agreements, around 71% of employees are covered by collective agreements (Alsos et al, 2021). While all employees in the public sector are covered, around half of private sector employees work in a company bound by a collective agreement.

Collective wage bargaining coverage of employees

Note: n.a., not available.

Sources: Visser (2013); OECD and AIAS (2021); Eurostat [earn_ses10_01], [earn_ses14_01], [earn_ses18_01] (including companies with more than 10 employees (Nomenclature of Economic Activities codes B–S, excluding O), with a single response for each local unit); Nergaard (2018); Nergaard (2020); Alsos et al (2021); Nergaard (2022)

Bargaining levels

In most parts of the economy, a two-tiered bargaining system exists. Company-level wage negotiations take place after the central negotiations, and strikes are prohibited. The collective agreements establish a framework for working time, but company agreements are also important when it comes to regulating working time arrangements and scheduling employees who work outside the ‘normal’ working day (unsocial hours). It is possible to derogate from many of the working time provisions set out by the Working Environment Act through collective agreements at company level.

Levels of collective bargaining, 2022

Articulation

Industry-level collective agreements provide a framework that the parties at company level have to respect. These agreements also regulate how company-level wage bargaining is to be conducted.

Timing of bargaining rounds

The settlement period in both the private and the public sector is two years, but allows for wage negotiations for the second year. During the biennial bargaining round, the entire contents of a collective agreement are open for revision. Bargaining is conducted at both sector and company levels, and centralised bargaining for wages is therefore usually supplemented with bargaining at company level, under a peace clause (Løken et al, 2013).

Most industry-level agreements expire on 31 March in major parts of the private sector, or on 30 April in the public sector, as do some agreements in the private sector. There are exceptions, but no major ones.

Coordination

Bargaining rounds are dominated by pattern bargaining, through the trendsetting industry model for wage formation. The model presupposes a strong degree of coordination – both horizontal and vertical. Horizontal coordination takes place partly through the adaptation of general guidelines for wage negotiations at confederation level and partly through signals given from employer organisations to their companies on the economic situation. The peak-level confederations have committed themselves to following the trendsetting model through tripartite commissions, and thereby ensuring vertical coordination. This coordination is supported by other institutions, such as the TBU.

Extension mechanisms

Since 1993, the legal framework has allowed for the extension of nationwide agreements, or parts of these, if it is documented that foreign employees perform work on terms that are less favourable than those that apply pursuant to relevant nationwide collective agreements (General Application Act, Allmenngjøringsloven). In light of increasing labour migration from the Member States that have joined the EU since May 2004, key clauses of collective agreements have been made generally applicable within several industries. As of December 2022, these industries are:

• construction
• shipbuilding
• cleaning
• accommodation, restaurants and catering
• agriculture
• processing of fish
• electrical work
• road transport
• passenger transport by tour bus

Some companies in the private sector comply with parts of a collective agreement on a voluntary basis by including references in the individual employment contract or by implementing wage rates that are agreed by the social partners.

Derogation mechanisms

Derogation mechanisms are (with a few exceptions) not embedded in collective agreements but may in rare cases be agreed on. The option to postpone or disregard the general increase was part of the private sector agreements in 2003 and 2009 (to be agreed at company level). As far as is known, few companies took advantage of this opportunity.

Expiry of collective agreements

If a collective agreement is not brought to an end three months prior to the end of the predefined period, it will be prolonged by one year (see the Labour Disputes Act, Section 5(3)).

Peace clauses

The parties to an agreement have a legal obligation to keep industrial peace during the period of validity of a collective agreement (in accordance with the Labour Disputes Act, Section 8, and the Civil Service Disputes Act, Section 20). Peace clauses are also included in basic agreements between confederations. If an enterprise is not bound by a collective agreement, industrial action can be taken; however, regulations in the Labour Disputes Act regarding notification periods and mediation have to be respected. If the enterprise is a member of an employer organisation, the parties have to respect peace clauses in the basic agreement.

Other aspects of working life addressed in collective agreements

Since 2005, measures to combat social dumping among migrant workers have been high on the agenda. As part of this, regulations for temporary agency workers have been implemented to address both hiring companies and temporary employment agencies. In 2014, the parties in the manufacturing sector decided to include temporary employment agencies in the scope of their industry collective agreement, and other industries followed suit. This means that agencies are bound by collective agreements covering the industry to which they send workers. However, so far only a handful of agencies are bound by a collective agreement.

Furthermore, gender issues related to the pay gap have played a role in bargaining rounds when it comes to the profile of the general wage increase and local funds.

Legal aspects

The right to use industrial action (arbeidskamp) is regulated by the Labour Disputes Act, which includes definitions of a strike and a lockout. These actions also include blockades.

A strike (streik) is defined as:

full or partial stoppage of work implemented by employees acting jointly or in concert in order to force resolution of a dispute between a trade union and an employer or employer organisation. Any action to block a company’s premises in order to prevent the labour force from working is also considered to be part of a strike.

A lockout (lockout) is defined as:

full or partial stoppage of work implemented by an employer in order to force resolution of a dispute between an employer or employer organisation and a trade union, regardless of whether other employees are hired to replace those locked out. Preventing the locked-out employees from acquiring other work is also considered to be part of a lockout.

The right to use industrial action is limited to conflicts of interest and cases where mediation has taken place.

Developments in industrial action, 2017–2021

Sources: Statistics Norway (2018, 2023); Nergaard (2022), Nergaard (2024).

Dispute resolution mechanisms

Collective dispute resolution mechanisms

Norway has a system of compulsory mediation in connection with bargaining: if the parties involved fail to come to an agreement, the dispute is subject to a process of mediation. This arrangement is an integral part of the bargaining system, and the state-appointed mediator (the National Mediator) will help the parties involved in order to avoid industrial action. The system is not controversial and receives broad support from the social partners.

The Norwegian parliament may intervene in a labour dispute by enforcing compulsory arbitration if the conflict is perceived to threaten the life and health of the population or to lead to serious social consequences. The use of compulsory arbitration is often controversial, and some of the decisions have been met with criticism from public law institutions such as the International Labour Organization.

Disagreements in company-level negotiations are usually resolved with input from the national organisations or using various dispute resolution mechanisms.

Disputes over the interpretation of, or compliance with, collective agreements are ultimately a matter for the Labour Court, and the parties to the agreement may bring a case before the court.

Individual dispute resolution mechanisms

Private legal issues related to employment contracts are normally brought before the ordinary courts, for example in the case of a dismissal. In that type of case, unionised workers are often entitled to legal support from their representative trade union.

Public legal issues, such as work environment issues or workplace safety issues, and those related to generally applicable collective agreements may be dealt with by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, or the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (Petroleumstilsynet) in the oil sector.

Dispute resolution commissions may also be used in some cases, and issues pertaining to discrimination may be brought before the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud (Likestillings- og diskrimineringsombudet) or the Dispute Resolution Board as regards, for instance, working time schedules, industrial democracy, leave and priority rights for part-time workers.

The National Mediator handled 48 national disputes in the mid-term settlement in 2021, a number it considered quite high. In 2020, the National Mediator dealt with 96 cases, which is higher than in the last main bargaining round, in 2018, but lower than in the 2016 bargaining round. The explanation for the increase in 2020 compared with 2018 is that the 2018 settlement was a central-level bargaining round, leading to fewer disputes than an industry-level bargaining round. The numbers are volatile because all collective agreements are renewed every even year, while odd years are mid-term years, where only pay is negotiated.

Use of dispute resolution mechanisms, 2017–2021

Sources: National Mediator (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

‘Individual employment relations’ refers to the relationship between the individual worker and their employer. This relationship is shaped by legal regulation and by the outcomes of social partner negotiations over terms and conditions. This section looks at the start and termination of the employment relationship and entitlements and obligations in Norway.

Start and termination of the employment relationship

Requirements regarding an employment contract

Children under 15 years of age or children who are attending compulsory education are as a general rule not allowed to work. People under 18 must not perform work that may be detrimental to their safety, health, development or schooling. There are no formal requirements to enter an employment relationship for Norwegian workers or people from the European Economic Area. A written contract of employment should be entered into as early as possible and at the latest one month following the commencement of employment (Working Environment Act, Section 14-5).

Dismissal and termination procedures

Dismissals should be given in writing and respect the terms of notice in the Working Environment Act or collective or individual agreements. Notice should be given to the employee in person or forwarded to their address. The notice should inform the employee of their rights when it comes to negotiations, legal proceedings and more. Employees may not be dismissed unless this is objectively justified on the basis of circumstances relating to the undertaking, the employer or the employee. If the dismissal is justified, the employee has no right to redundancy pay.

Entitlements and obligations

Parental, maternity and paternity leave

The right to parental and maternity leave is laid down in the Working Environment Act, while the right to payment is set out in the National Insurance Act (or collective or individual agreements). The right to leave does not specify the period that can be taken by fathers only, but the entitlement to pay for parts of the period is connected to the father’s quota. The father’s quota has been increased and decreased with changes in government. In 2022, both the mother and the father had a 15-week quota. In addition, the mother had the right to three weeks’ leave before giving birth. A further 16 weeks of parental leave are available, which parents can divide between themselves as they wish.

Statutory leave arrangements

Sick leave

Sick leave is regulated by the National Insurance Act, Chapter 8. The employer pays the first 16 calendar days of leave, and after that payment is made through the national insurance scheme. Payment through national insurance is calculated on the basis of income. The daily rate is 1/260 of the calculation basis. The calculation basis cannot exceed six times the basic amount (in December 2022, that was NOK 668,862 or approximately €61,300). If the employment relationship is terminated while the employee is on sick leave, the national insurance provider becomes responsible for paying the benefit. Employees may have better rights to sick pay based on collective or individual agreements.

Retirement age

The general retirement age is 72 years, although since 2011 the pension reform has made it possible to withdraw a pension from 62 years of age. All work until the age of 75 counts when it comes to earning rights. There are no gender differences in the provisions.

According to the Working Environment Act, employment may be terminated when an employee reaches the age of 72. However, a lower age limit (but not below 70) is allowed if it is combined with a satisfactory occupational pension scheme and is objectively justified and does not involve disproportionate intervention (see Section 15-13(a)).

Minimum wages

Minimum wages are set in collective agreements following negotiations by the social partners. Wage rates are usually negotiated every year. There is no statutory minimum wage in Norway. In some cases, minimum or normal wage rates in collective agreements are made generally applicable, thus extending the collectively agreed minimum wage to companies not bound by the agreements. By the end of 2022, nine industries had generally applicable wage rates.

Working time is ‘any period during which the worker is working, at the employer’s disposal and carrying out his activity or duties, in accordance with national laws and/or practice’ (Directive 2003/88/EC). This section briefly summarises the regulation of and issues regarding working time, overtime, part-time work and working time flexibility in Norway.

Working time regulation

The Working Environment Act sets out a framework for working time, but the relevant provisions may be derogated from in many cases. Which provisions can be derogated from and how far parties can derogate from them depend on who the parties to the agreement are. Peak-level organisations have the most extensive derogation rights, while parties at company level have more restricted rights. Companies may also apply to the Labour Inspection Authority to be allowed to have working time arrangements that derogate from the act.

Overtime regulation

Normal working hours may not exceed 9 hours per 24 hours and 40 hours per seven days, and work outside these limits is overtime work. If working time is calculated on average, other limits apply (see the Working Environment Act, Chapter 10). Collective agreements set lower limits, usually 37.5 hours a week, with overtime starting after these hours are completed. This limit is often specified in individual agreements in companies that are not covered by collective agreements. Section 10-6 of the Working Environment Act defines overtime as ‘work in excess of agreed working hours’. Overtime work should be compensated by a minimum of 40% of the ordinary hourly rate according to the Working Environment Act. Collective and individual agreements normally set the rates at 50% and 100% of the ordinary hourly rate for evenings and weekends, respectively.

Part-time work

Some 21.1% of all employees in Norway were employed on part-time contracts in 2022. This figure had decreased since 2012. Part-time work is more common among women (31%) than men (12%). This is partly due to the high proportion of Norwegian women who work and the gender segregation of the labour market. Female-dominated sectors with high rates of part-time work are health and social care, retail, and hospitality.

Part-time work is not defined by statutory law but is to be understood as an employment relationship in which contractual working time is shorter than what is normal for the position, occupational group or industry (Regjeringen.no (undated). In the collective agreement between Virke and LO/HK Norge for the retail trade, part-time employees are defined as employees that on an annual basis are employed on certain days of the week with full or reduced hours on these days, or workers who on an annual basis work every day with reduced daily working hours.

Several regulations were introduced in the legislative framework to reduce involuntary part-time work. In 2023, a full-time norm was introduced in the Working Environment Act. The act also includes regulations on preferential rights for part-time employees and the entitlement of part-time workers who have regularly worked in excess of the agreed working hours to a post whose hours are equivalent to actual working hours.

Further, a provision prohibiting discrimination against part-time workers, as well as preferential rights, are included in the Working Environment Act, Chapters 13 and 14. Such provisions can also be found in collective agreements.

Night work

Night work is defined – according to the Working Environment Act (Section 10-11) – as work performed between 21:00 and 06:00. Work within this period is, as a general rule, not permitted. There are several exceptions to this rule, both for company agreements and if the nature of the work makes it necessary. On the initiative of the employee, some of their daily work can be undertaken between 21:00 and 23:00. This exception was introduced in 2017 in order to facilitate work–life balance, for instance for parents who have to take their children to pre-school or school and back.

Shift work

For shift work, the weekly maximum working hours are reduced (see Working Environment Act, Section 10-4). Maximum hours depend on the nature of the shift work; these could be 38 or 36 hours. Collective agreements have set the maximum number below those in the statutory legislation, usually at 36.5, 35.5 or 33.6 hours a week.

Weekend work

The Working Environment Act has special regulations for Sundays (Section 10-10). As a rule, work is not permitted between 18:00 on Saturday and 22:00 on Sunday, unless necessitated by the nature of the work. Exceptions can also be made by written agreement between local parties in companies bound by collective agreements (for night work) and by individual agreements in cases where an employee wishes to take an alternative day off according to their religious practice. There are also regulations on how often employees may work on Sundays.

Rest and breaks

An employee should have at least 11 hours of continuous rest in every 24-hour period, and 35 continuous hours in every seven-day period (Working Environment Act, Section 10-8). The daily rest period should be between two main work periods, while the weekly rest period should, if possible, include Sunday. Exceptions to the provisions can be agreed on in companies bound by collective agreements but with minimum rest periods of 8 and 28 hours as a general rule.

Working time flexibility

All employees are entitled to flexible working hours if these can be arranged without major inconvenience to the undertaking (see Working Environment Act, Section 10-2(3)). Flexible working time arrangements are usually established at firm level. The bargaining parties in the state sector have a framework agreement for flexible work that can be implemented in the workplace. This agreement allows for a flexible start and end of the working day. It regulates core time and enables workers to take time off in lieu.

Maintaining health and well-being should be a high priority for workers and employers alike. Health is an asset closely associated with a person’s quality of life and longevity, as well as their ability to work. A healthy economy depends on a healthy workforce: organisations can experience loss of productivity through the ill health of their workers. This section looks at psychosocial risks and health and safety at work in Norway.

Health and safety at work

The main regulation on health and safety at work in Norway is the Working Environment Act (Chapters 2–7). The main instrument to ensure a safe and sound working environment is a systematic approach. This approach is set out in Chapter 3 of the act in order to emphasise its use by both employers and the Labour Inspection Authority. The general requirements regarding the working environment are set out in Chapter 4, which also states that the standards for safety, health and the working environment should be continuously developed and improved in accordance with developments in society. The employer has a responsibility to keep employees and their representatives informed and to provide employees with the training they need to familiarise themselves with the systems in their workplace. In order to safeguard the interests of the employees, a safety representative should be elected by and among the employees. In firms with at least 50 employees, a working environment committee should be established. Both the employer and the employees, as well as the occupational health service, should be represented in this committee.

The number of accidents at work resulting in at least three days of absence per 1,000 employees was relatively stable between 2017 and 2021. The increase in the number of accidents in agriculture, forestry and fishing, mining and quarrying, and electricity, water supply and waste management in 2021 compared with 2017 was above average. In 2021, a total of 39 accidents were fatal. Most of these happened in three industries: construction, transportation and storage, and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

Incidence of accidents at work leading to at least three days of absence per 1,000 employees, 2017–2021

Source: Statistics Norway (undated-c), Table 10914

The Living Conditions Survey covers a number of physical and psychosocial issues. The data can be accessed on Statistics Norway’s website.

Psychosocial risks

The Working Environment Act addresses issues related to psychosocial risks at work, mainly in Chapters 2–9. Regulations regarding this issue can also be found elsewhere in the act, for instance in Chapter 10, on working hours. Chapter 2 sets out the duties of the employer and the employees when it comes to provisions in the act. Chapter 2A outlines regulations on the protection of whistle-blowers.

In addition to the general requirements (see the section ‘Health and safety at work’), Section 4-3 sets out requirements regarding the psychosocial working environment, stating that work should be arranged to preserve the employees’ integrity and dignity. Effort should be made to arrange work to enable contact and communication between employees of the undertaking. Employees should not be subjected to harassment or other improper conduct and should be protected against violence, threats and undesirable strain. Chapter 9 lays down conditions for implementing control measures in the undertaking. For some of these measures, the employer must also comply with the Personal Data Act.

Skills are the passport to employment; the more highly skilled an individual, the more employable they are. People with good skills also tend to secure better-quality jobs and better earnings. This section briefly summarises the Norwegian system for ensuring skills and employability and looks at training provision.

National system for ensuring skills and employability

Norway has a national system for the validation and recognition of informal and non-formal learning. The aim is to recognise learners’ competencies in relation to the institutionalised education system and in a labour market context.

The national validation system is a key building block in this system, along with statutory rights to primary and secondary education for adults, a right to a leave of absence for educational purposes, the development of improved funding arrangements for learning and a competence development programme to develop the market for further and continuing education (Skule and Ure, 2004).

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (Hkdir) was established in 2021. The directorate is responsible for, among other things, the national skills policy and lifelong learning. One of its main goals is to ensure that skills upgrading and lifelong learning become more accessible throughout the country.

The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (SRY) is the national body through which the social partners meet with education authorities. Under the Education Act, the council advises the Ministry of Education and Research, takes the initiative to promote vocational training and promotes cooperation between entities nationally and locally. The council is appointed by the ministry.

The social partners play a key role in the apprenticeship scheme and participate in designing skills-related policies through various councils and hearings. The Basic Agreement between the LO and the NHO has a chapter devoted to skills and competency development. Companies should identify employees’ skills needs, and where there are gaps between the company’s current and future needs, they should be addressed by appropriate training or other measures. Covering the costs of continuing and further education in accordance with business needs is the company’s responsibility. The company and the employees are both responsible for ensuring that potential competency gaps are adequately covered. The Basic Agreement also states that it is important that the company has a system for documenting individuals’ experiences, training and practices related to employment (OECD, 2014).

Training

Vocational education and training (VET), including apprenticeships, is integrated in upper secondary education and is regulated by the same acts that apply to general education. Labour market representatives from business, industry and public sectors are important in helping identify new labour market and skills needs. Therefore, in the decision-making system for upper secondary VET, the social partners hold the majority of seats in all advisory bodies and thus shape the provision of VET at this level. The social partners are consulted through the National Council for Post-secondary Vocational Education and Training, and two advisory bodies are consulted for technical and maritime education, and health and social education, respectively. As part of the recognition process for programmes at this level, there should also always be a needs estimate. In higher education, there is academic freedom, but cooperation with relevant labour market players is encouraged to ensure the relevance of educational provision (Haukås and Skjervheim, 2018).

The principle of equal treatment requires that all people – and, in the context of the workplace, all workers – have the right to receive the same treatment, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of criteria such as age, sex, disability, nationality, race and religion.

Discrimination is prohibited through several acts, including the Constitution. The Working Environment Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of political views, membership of trade unions, sexual orientation, disability and age (see Section 13-1). The section also directs the reader to other acts, most importantly the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act. The act bans direct and indirect discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnic origin, national origin, descent, colour, language, religion, ethical and cultural orientation, and disability.

Issues pertaining to discrimination can be brought before the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal (Diskrimineringsnemnda).

Equal pay and gender pay gap

The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act (Section 6) prohibits discrimination on the basis of several factors, including gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation. Special regulations relating to employment are included in Chapter 5, stipulating that the prohibition of discrimination covers pay and working conditions. Section 34 states that women and men in the same undertaking should receive equal pay for the same work or work of equal value. Pay should be set in the same way, without regard to gender. Furthermore, the Working Environment Act prohibits age discrimination.

Public authorities, employers and employer organisations, and trade unions have a duty to act under the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act. All public undertakings and private undertakings with 50 or more employees should investigate whether there is a risk of discrimination, and this includes reviewing pay. The causes of risks identified must be analysed, and measures to counteract discrimination implemented and evaluated. These employers are also obliged to issue a public statement of the actual status of gender equality in their undertaking.

A worker who suspects discrimination in the setting of pay may demand that the employer provides written confirmation of their pay level and the criteria for the setting of pay.

Enforcement of the act is regulated by the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud Act. This act has provisions on the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud and the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal. The tribunal may make administrative decisions concerning breaches of regulations in the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act and anti-discrimination provisions in the Working Environment Act, Chapter 13. The ombud is tasked with working to promote genuine equality and prevent discrimination in all sectors of society. It should also work to promote equal treatment in the context of employment, irrespective of political views and trade union membership.

In the 2000s, the pay gap has slightly decreased. According to data from the TBU, the pay gap decreased from 2020 to 2021 for full-time employees. In 2021, women on average earned 89.6% of what men earned, up 0.3 percentage points from 2020. If part-time employees are included, the pay gap also decreased, with women earning 87.5% of men’s earnings in 2020 and 87.9% in 2021 (TBU, 2022, p. 31). Women’s median wage was 95.4% of men’s in 2021.

In general, wage transparency in Norway is good, and formal pay transparency instruments contribute to this. From 2015, a new electronic register replaced the old sample wage register. All employers in the private and public sectors are legally obliged to report monthly individual data on wages and employment to public agencies, including Statistics Norway. These data are used and published at an aggregate level by the TBU.

Collective agreements may grant union representatives in the workplace the right to access wage statistics showing wage levels and changes in wages by gender and occupational groups.

Quota regulations

Since 2005, all public limited liability companies are required to have at least 40% female board members (see the Public Limited Liability Companies Act, Section 6-11a). There are also regulations on female representation when it comes to the election of board members among employees.

There are no other legal obligations for quotas. However, legislation that aims to combat discrimination allows positive special treatment of disadvantaged groups.

Employer organisations

NHO and affiliates

• Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)
• Abelia
• Federation of Norwegian Construction Industries (NHO Byggenæringen)
• Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association (Mediebedriftene)
• FoodDrinkNorway
• Nelfo
• Offshore Norge
• Federation of Norwegian Industries (Norsk Industri)
• Norwegian Hospitality Association (NHO Reiseliv)
• Federation of Norwegian Coastal Shipping (NHO Sjøfart)
• Norwegian Federation of Service Industries and Retail Trade (NHO Service og Handel)
• Federation of Norwegian Transport Enterprises (NHO Transport)

Other organisations

• Federation of Norwegian Enterprise (Virke)
• Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS)
• Employers’ Association Spekter (Spekter)

Trade unions

LO and affiliates

• Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO)
• Labour Press Union (APF)
• Creo
• Electrician and IT Workers’ Union (EL og IT)
• United Federation of Trade Unions (Fellesforbundet)
• Norwegian Engineers and Managers Association (FLT)
• Norwegian Union of Social Educators and Social Workers (FO)
• Norwegian Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices (HK Norge)
• Norwegian Union of General Workers (NAF)
• Norwegian Prison and Probation Officers Union (NFF)
• Norwegian Union of Railway Workers (NJF)
• Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees
• Industri Energi
• Norwegian Athlete Association (NISO)
• National Union of Norwegian Locomotivemen (NLF)
• Norwegian Food and Allied Workers Union (NNN)
• Norwegian Union of Military Officers (NOF)
• Norwegian Seafarers’ Union (NSF)
• Norwegian Civil Service Union (NTL)
• Norwegian Union of School Employees (SL)
• LO Stat

Unio and affiliates

• Confederation of Unions for Professionals (Unio)
• Union of Education Norway
• Norwegian Nurses Organisation (NSF)
• Norwegian Association of Researchers
• Norwegian Police Federation
• Norwegian Physiotherapist Association
• Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers (DNMF)
• Norwegian Occupational Therapy Association
• Union of University and College Graduates
• Norwegian Society of Radiographers (NRF)
• Norwegian Association of Clergy
• Norwegian Union of Librarians (BF)
• Norwegian Dental Hygienist Association (NTpF)
• Norwegian Association of Tax Auditors and Accountants
• Norwegian Association of Deacons

YS and affiliates

• Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS)
• YS Stat
• Military Officers’ Association (BFO)
• Delta
• Finance Sector Union (Finansforbundet)
• Prison and Probation Service Trade Union (KY)
• Negotia
• Norwegian Association of School Leaders
• Norwegian Customs Officers Union (NT)
• Norwegian Union of Energy Workers (SAFE)
• Parat
• Tax Authorities Union (SKL)
• STAFO
• Transport Workers’ Union (YTF)

Akademikerne and affiliates

• Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations
• Norwegian Union of Architects (AFAG)
• Association of Norwegian Economists (Econa)
• Military Officers’ Association (KOL)
• Norwegian Association of Natural Resource Managers (Naturviterne)
• Norwegian Association of Legal Scholars (NJ)
• University Lecturers’ Union
• Norwegian Medical Association
• Norwegian Dental Association
• Norwegian Psychological Association (NPF)
• Norwegian Veterinary Association (NV)
• Norwegian Association of Social Scientists
• Social Economists’ Association
• Norwegian Society of Graduate Technical and Scientific Professionals (Tekna)

Other trade unions

• Norwegian Union of Journalists (NJ)
• Norwegian Aircraft Technician Organisation (NFO)
• Norwegian Union of Managers and Executives (Lederne)
• Norwegian Society of Engineers and Technologists (NITO)

Government

• Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion

Other links

• National Institute of Occupational Health in Norway (STAMI)
• Statistics Norway
• Fafo
• Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV)

Alsos, K., Nergaard, K. and Scvarstad, E. (2021), Arbeidsgiverorganisering og tariffavtaler, Fafo-rapport 2021:07, Fafo, Oslo.

Eurofound (2020a), Collective agreements and bargaining coverage in the EU: A mapping of types, regulations and first findings from the European Company Survey 2019, Eurofound working paper, Dublin.

Eurofound (2020b), Employee representation at establishment or company level: A mapping report ahead of the 4th European Company Survey, Eurofound working paper, Dublin.

Eurofound (2020c), Industrial relations: Developments 2015–2019, Challenges and prospects in the EU series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2020d), Minimum wages in 2020: Annual review, Minimum wages in the EU series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound (2021), Working conditions and sustainable work: An analysis using the job quality framework, Challenges and prospects in the EU series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Eurofound and Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) (2020), European Company Survey 2019: Workplace practices unlocking employee potential, European Company Survey 2019 series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Haukås, M. and Skjervheim, K.(2018), Vocational education and training in Europe – Norway, Cedefop ReferNet VET in Europe reports.

Løken, E., Stokke, T.A. and Nergaard, K. (2013), Labour relations in Norway, Fafo, Oslo.

National Mediator (2017), Årsrapport 2017.

National Mediator (2018), Årsrapport 2018.

National Mediator (2019), Årsrapport 2019.

National Mediator (2020), Årsrapport 2020.

National Mediator (2021), Årsrapport 2021.

Nergaard, K. (2014), Organisasjonsgrader, tariffavtaledekning og arbeidskonflikter 2013, Fafo-notat 2014:14, Fafo, Oslo.

Nergaard, K. (2018), Organisasjonsgrader, tariffavtaledekning og arbeidskonflikter 2016/2017, Fafo-notat 2018:20, Fafo, Oslo.

Nergaard, K. (2020), Organisasjonsgrader, tariffavtaledekning og arbeidskonflikter 2018/2019, Fafo-notat 2020:12, Fafo, Oslo.

Nergaard, K. (2022), Organisasjonsgrader, tariffavtaledekning og arbeidskonflikter 2020 og 2021, Fafo-notat 2022:09, Fafo, Oslo.

Nergaard, K. (2024), Organisasjonsgrader, tariffavtaledekning og arbeidskonflikter 2022, Fafo-notat 2024:05, Fafo, Oslo

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2014), OECD skills strategy diagnostic report: Norway – 2014, Paris.

OECD and AIAS (Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies) (2021), OECD/AIAS ICTWSS database, version 1, Paris.

Regjeringen.no (undated), Ot.prp. nr. 49 (2004−2005), Om lov om arbeidsmiljø, arbeidstid og stillingsvern mv. (arbeidsmiljøloven).

Skule, S. and Ure, O. B. (2004), Lifelong learning – Norwegian experiences: Identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning, Fafo-paper 2004:2, Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research.

Statistics Norway (2018), Work stoppages, web page, accessed 1 April 2024.

Statistics Norway (2023), Trade union members and strikes, web page, accessed 1 April 2024.

Statistics Norway (undated-a), National accounts, web page, accessed 28 May 2024.

Statistics Norway (undated-b), Earnings, web page, accessed 1 April 2024.

Statistics Norway (undated-c), Accidents at work, web page, accessed 1 April 2024.

Stokke, T. A., Evju, S. E. and Nergaard, K. (2013), Det kollektive arbeidslivet. Organisasjoner, tariffavtaler og lønnsoppgjøret, 2nd ed., Universitetsforlaget.

TBU (Tekniske beregningsgrunnlag for inntektsoppgjørene) (2022), Grunnlaget for inntektsoppgjørene 2022, Norges offentlige utredninger 2022:4, Norwegian Government Security and Service Organisation, Oslo.

Visser, J. (2013), ICTWSS database, version 4.0, AIAS, University of Amsterdam.