Navigating employee leave entitlements is a crucial aspect of managing a workforce in Norway. The country's robust labor laws provide employees with significant rights regarding vacation, sick leave, parental leave, and other types of absence from work. Understanding these regulations is essential for employers to ensure compliance and maintain positive employee relations.
Norwegian legislation sets minimum standards for various types of leave, ensuring employees have adequate time off for rest, illness, family responsibilities, and other personal needs. While collective agreements or individual employment contracts may offer more generous terms, the statutory requirements provide a baseline that all employers must adhere to.
Annual Vacation Leave
The Norwegian Holiday Act (FerieLoven) mandates a minimum of 25 working days (equivalent to 4 weeks and 1 day) of annual vacation leave per year for all employees. Working days include all calendar days except Sundays and public holidays. Employees over the age of 60 are entitled to an additional week of vacation, totaling 31 working days.
Vacation pay (feriepenger) is earned during the previous calendar year (the earning year) and paid out when vacation is taken in the current year (the holiday year). The statutory minimum rate for vacation pay is 10.2% of the employee's gross salary earned during the earning year. For employees over 60, the rate is 12.5%. Vacation pay replaces the regular salary during the vacation period.
Employees have the right to take three weeks of their main holiday consecutively during the main holiday period, which is typically between June 1st and September 30th. The employer must discuss the timing of vacation with the employee and provide at least two months' notice of the planned vacation dates.
Public Holidays
Norway observes several public holidays throughout the year. Employees are generally entitled to time off on these days, and if a public holiday falls on a weekday, it is typically treated as a non-working day. Some public holidays are fixed dates, while others vary each year based on the calendar (like Easter).
Here are the main public holidays observed in Norway in 2025:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| April 17 | Maundy Thursday |
| April 18 | Good Friday |
| April 20 | Easter Sunday |
| April 21 | Easter Monday |
| May 1 | Labour Day |
| May 8 | Liberation Day |
| May 17 | Constitution Day |
| May 29 | Ascension Day |
| June 8 | Whit Sunday |
| June 9 | Whit Monday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Boxing Day (St. Stephen's Day) |
Note that some businesses may also close early on certain days like Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year's Eve (December 31), although these are not statutory public holidays.
Sick Leave
Employees in Norway are entitled to sick leave if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. The sick pay system is designed to ensure employees receive income during periods of illness.
For the first 16 calendar days of sick leave, the employer is responsible for paying sick pay (arbeidsgiverperiode). The employee must notify the employer of their absence as soon as possible. For absences lasting more than three calendar days, a doctor's certificate (sykmelding) is usually required, although employees can self-certify for up to three consecutive days (eigenmelding) a limited number of times per year (typically up to four times).
From the 17th day of sick leave, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) takes over the responsibility for paying sick benefits (sykepenger). Sick pay from both the employer and NAV is generally calculated based on the employee's regular income and aims to replace lost earnings up to a certain limit. The entitlement to sick pay can last for up to 52 weeks.
Parental Leave
Norway has generous parental leave provisions, allowing parents to take time off to care for a new child. This includes leave for birth mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents. The total period of paid leave is shared between the parents, with certain portions reserved specifically for the mother, the father/co-mother, and a shared period.
The total duration of parental benefit (foreldrepenger) is either 49 weeks at 100% income coverage or 59 weeks at 80% income coverage. This period includes the mother's quota, the father/co-mother's quota, and the shared period.
- Mother's Quota: Typically 15 weeks (at 100%) or 19 weeks (at 80%), including three weeks before the expected due date.
- Father/Co-mother's Quota: Typically 15 weeks (at 100%) or 19 weeks (at 80%). This quota is intended to encourage fathers/co-mothers to take an active role in childcare.
- Shared Period: The remaining weeks (16 weeks at 100% or 21 weeks at 80%) can be shared between the parents as they choose.
In addition to paid leave, each parent is entitled to one year of unpaid leave for each child, which must be taken immediately after the paid parental leave period. Special rules apply for multiple births and adoption.
Other Types of Leave
Beyond the main categories, Norwegian law and common practice recognize other types of leave for specific circumstances:
- Care Leave (Omsorgspenger): Employees are entitled to paid leave to care for a sick child or a sick caregiver of a child. The number of days depends on the number of children and whether the employee is a single parent.
- Bereavement Leave: While not explicitly regulated by the Holiday Act, many collective agreements and employers grant paid leave in the event of the death of a close family member.
- Study Leave: Employees with at least three years of employment and two years with the current employer may be entitled to unpaid leave for up to three years for organized education.
- Leave for Public Duties: Employees may be entitled to leave to perform public duties, such as serving on a jury or in local government.
- Sabbatical Leave: Some employers or collective agreements may offer opportunities for sabbatical leave, though this is not a statutory right.
