How long is annual leave in Norway?

The Norwegian Holiday Act applies to all employees unless more favorable entitlements are agreed in the employment agreement or appear in our policy.

Employees in Norway are entitled to 25 working days of paid annual leave. For employees aged 60 or over by September 1 of a given calendar year, there are an additional 6 working days of paid leave.

The vacation year is the calendar year, and the qualifying year for vacation pay is the preceding calendar year. Newly hired employees before September 30 are entitled to the full amount of annual leave, while those who start later are entitled to 6 days.

How is annual leave accrued in Norway?

Employees in Norway have a holiday entitlement of 4 weeks and 1 day (21 days) and are entitled to 10.2% holiday pay. Employers that offer 12% holiday pay typically provide a holiday entitlement of 5 weeks. The Norwegian Holiday Act counts working days from Monday to Friday, meaning one holiday week corresponds to 5 working days. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure employees take their holidays. Even if an employee is on long-term sick leave, the employer should encourage the employee to take holidays if possible.

What is the process to request annual leave in Norway?

In Norway, employees are eligible for annual leave as outlined in their employment agreement or the legally mandated five weeks. Here’s the process for requesting and managing annual leave in Norway:

• Eligibility:
• Employees who join from January to September are eligible for 25 days of leave (5 weeks).
• Employees who join from October to December are eligible for 10 days of leave (2 weeks).

• Leave Management:
• Holidays in Norway are unpaid and deducted from the payroll.
• There is a 12% holiday accrual on a monthly basis.
• For employees with accrual from the previous year, 25 days are deducted in June when the past year's holiday allowance payment is made, regardless of whether the days are taken.
• Employees can take these 25 days anytime during the year. If not used, they can carry forward 10 days to the next year.
• For new joiners without accruals from the previous year, leave is deducted whenever availed.
• Carry forward leaves to the next year are deducted from the salary in the preferred month.

Employees must ensure they adhere to these guidelines to effectively manage their annual leave in accordance with Norwegian laws.

Is time off usage required in set increments in Norway?

In Norway, time off usage is required in set increments. The main holiday period is between June 1 and September 30. During this period, employees have the right to take three weeks of consecutive holiday.

Is it necessary to track leave accrual on employee payslips in Norway?

In Norway, it is not necessary to track leave accrual on employee payslips.