Working in Norway: What are the rules for overtime?
Most workers in Norway are automatically entitled to overtime if they work over their hours. Here’s what you need to know about the overtime system in Norway.
All employees in Norway are entitled to overtime pay unless they are specifically exempted from the provision in the Working Environment Act, which regulates working hours.
Overtime is defined as any work for the job performed outside of regular working hours. Ordinary working hours in Norway can be at most nine hours in 24 hours or 40 hours per week.
For many industries, a working week of 37.5 hours per week and 7.5 hours per day may be more typical due to collective bargaining agreements dictating the working conditions in many industries.
If you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that restricts a worker to these hours, anything over this would be considered overtime.
Those who work night shifts, Sundays, or on a rota are restricted to 38 hours a week rather than 40. This is unless a collective bargaining agreement indicates lower hours.
Employees cannot waive their right to overtime, and such agreements break the law.
There are limits to how much overtime someone can work. Employees are restricted to ten hours of overtime per week, 24 hours per month, and 200 hours per year.
Furthermore, total hours worked (when adding normal working hours to overtime) are not allowed to exceed 13 hours during 24 hours or 48 hours during a week.
These overtime limits can be raised by companies that are signed up to a collective bargaining agreement.
READ ALSO: What are Norway's highest-paying occupations?
Some workplaces can even file applications with the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) to request more lenient overtime limits. The employee must agree to these increases.
Employees have the right to be exempted from overtime for health and weighty social reasons and if others can postpone or perform their job without adverse consequences.
Project work, which may require employees to be flexible or require “crunch time” to meet a deadline, is also covered by the working hours provisions set out in the Working Environment Act.
How much is overtime pay?
Workers who do overtime are entitled to an extra 40 percent of their regular hourly salary on top of what they already earn. Some workplaces have overtime agreements, which mean more than 40 percent is paid to staff.
Some workplaces will allow employees to take time off instead. Even then, an extra 40 percent is applied.
If you feel you have not been paid for overtime, you should ask your employer why. If the employer is unwilling to pay overtime you think you are, you will need to take additional steps.
Union members can seek assistance from their union. Non-union members should contact the Labour Inspection Authority to be advised on their next steps. From there, you may need to contact a lawyer or legal adviser.
What are the exceptions?
Positions which are considered particularly senior or independent are among those that can be considered exempt from the overtime rules.
Employees considered independent are those with positions of seniority or responsibility, those with clear and obvious independence, those who can prioritise their own work duties, have the responsibility to influence deadlines and other external conditions, control ones own working hours or whose working hours aren’t subject o monitoring.
Senior positions are those at a high level in an originations hierarchy, those with managerial duties, the authority to make decisions on behalf of the enterprise, controls their own working hours, or their working hours are not subject to monitoring.
Assessments on overtime pay can also be made on a case-by-case basis.
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All employees in Norway are entitled to overtime pay unless they are specifically exempted from the provision in the Working Environment Act, which regulates working hours.
Overtime is defined as any work for the job performed outside of regular working hours. Ordinary working hours in Norway can be at most nine hours in 24 hours or 40 hours per week.
For many industries, a working week of 37.5 hours per week and 7.5 hours per day may be more typical due to collective bargaining agreements dictating the working conditions in many industries.
If you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that restricts a worker to these hours, anything over this would be considered overtime.
Those who work night shifts, Sundays, or on a rota are restricted to 38 hours a week rather than 40. This is unless a collective bargaining agreement indicates lower hours.
Employees cannot waive their right to overtime, and such agreements break the law.
There are limits to how much overtime someone can work. Employees are restricted to ten hours of overtime per week, 24 hours per month, and 200 hours per year.
Furthermore, total hours worked (when adding normal working hours to overtime) are not allowed to exceed 13 hours during 24 hours or 48 hours during a week.
These overtime limits can be raised by companies that are signed up to a collective bargaining agreement.
READ ALSO: What are Norway's highest-paying occupations?
Some workplaces can even file applications with the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) to request more lenient overtime limits. The employee must agree to these increases.
Employees have the right to be exempted from overtime for health and weighty social reasons and if others can postpone or perform their job without adverse consequences.
Project work, which may require employees to be flexible or require “crunch time” to meet a deadline, is also covered by the working hours provisions set out in the Working Environment Act.
How much is overtime pay?
Workers who do overtime are entitled to an extra 40 percent of their regular hourly salary on top of what they already earn. Some workplaces have overtime agreements, which mean more than 40 percent is paid to staff.
Some workplaces will allow employees to take time off instead. Even then, an extra 40 percent is applied.
If you feel you have not been paid for overtime, you should ask your employer why. If the employer is unwilling to pay overtime you think you are, you will need to take additional steps.
Union members can seek assistance from their union. Non-union members should contact the Labour Inspection Authority to be advised on their next steps. From there, you may need to contact a lawyer or legal adviser.
What are the exceptions?
Positions which are considered particularly senior or independent are among those that can be considered exempt from the overtime rules.
Employees considered independent are those with positions of seniority or responsibility, those with clear and obvious independence, those who can prioritise their own work duties, have the responsibility to influence deadlines and other external conditions, control ones own working hours or whose working hours aren’t subject o monitoring.
Senior positions are those at a high level in an originations hierarchy, those with managerial duties, the authority to make decisions on behalf of the enterprise, controls their own working hours, or their working hours are not subject to monitoring.
Assessments on overtime pay can also be made on a case-by-case basis.
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