Norway
Find out key information relating to Norway’s leave entitlements
Leave entitlement & working time regulations at a glance
Minimum Holiday Entitlement
25 days
Public Holidays
10 per year
Parental Leave
49 weeks at full pay or 59 weeks at reduced pay
Working Week
37.5 hours (full time)
Sick Leave Entitlement
Fully paid by the employer for the first 16 days; then covered by social security
Region
EMEA
ABSENCE & LEAVE
Additional information
Annual leave
There is no paid leave in Norway. Instead, Norwegians get holiday pay for at least 25 days a year. Employers must set aside 10.20% of their employees’ salaries for holiday pay. This is raised to 12.50% for employees aged 60 or over. Employees accumulate holiday pay the year before they take their leave, and it’s usually paid on the payday immediately before they’re due to take their holiday. This arrangement means that new employees cannot take paid holiday leave. They’re free to take time off, but they won’t have accumulated any holiday pay.
Sick leave
When it comes to sick leave, employers must cover sick pay for the first 16 days of an illness. After this, sick pay is covered by Norway’s National Insurance scheme.
Maternity and paternity leave
Mothers can take up to 59 weeks of maternity leave. Maternity leave pay is also covered by National Insurance. If employees take all 59 weeks of their entitlement, they’ll get 80% of their regular pay. But if they take just 49 weeks, they get 100% of their regular pay. There are no specific rules for paternity leave. Instead, male employees can take parental leave – an arrangement that splits the maternity leave between the mother and father.