The core content of labor (movement) law
Labor unions have always had a strong position in Norway, where the labor market is regulated by both legislation and collective bargaining agreements. Norway's provisions on Labour contracts and Labour protection are mainly found in the Working Environment Act and the Employees Act (see www.no/info/lawdata.html for details).

Regular working hours for full-time employees are limited to 40 hours per week, excluding lunch breaks. However, a large number of collective agreements provide for shorter working hours for specific types of work. In exceptional cases, on average, no more than 13 hours per day, no more than 48 hours per 7 days, and ordinary working hours can exceed 40 hours per week. The requirement on working hours does not apply to employees who hold senior positions or who hold particularly independent positions. In addition to public holidays, all employees are entitled to at least 25 days of paid annual leave per year. Employees over the age of 60 are entitled to an additional six days of leave per year.

[Working Environment Law] The basic laws of Norway on labor protection. The law regulates the protection of workers and the working environment and applies to all employers except those in shipping, hunting, fishing, oil and aviation. Make regulations on the working environment of employees and the occurrence of work-related injuries and diseases among employees; Routine risk assessments, including accident and emergency planning, must be carried out at each office location; Offices with more than 10 employees shall have a safety officer, and workplaces with more than 50 employees shall have a safety committee; Require companies to appoint a vice president responsible for safety work, set up a working environment team, dedicated to safety and health work; It also regulates employees' right to leave, working hours and overtime, and conditions for dismissal.

Employment contract: In Norway, an employment contract must be signed in writing, regardless of the duration of work. The employment of employees by private enterprises is subject to the relevant provisions of the Employees Act. Both parties agree on the probation period and sign a written agreement that the probation period cannot exceed 6 months. For those working in the public sector, in addition to the Working Environment Act, the Administrative Management Act also applies. The Civil Service Law shall also apply to employees working in state organs. In addition, there are provisions on work in the Equality Act.

Temporary employment agreements are only applicable for certain periods of time or for work performed on a temporary basis. Employees may be employed on a temporary basis under the following circumstances:
(1) When the work is temporary, or the work is separate from the daily work of the enterprise, such as the food industry or the tourism industry.
(2) berry and nut pickers, tour guides, summer outdoor restaurant waiters, etc. Temporary employees are not allowed to engage in the daily operation of the enterprise. Changes in the market are not grounds for temporary employment. However, temporary employment of staff is permitted when unforeseen circumstances occur that lead to a temporary increase in workload.

Under the Working Environment Act, minors between the ages of 13 and 15 are legally restricted in the work they can do. People under the age of 16 cannot work from 21:00-7:00 and people aged 16-18 cannot work from 23:00-06:00.

Employers' obligations The Working Environment Act provides for employers' obligations. The employer shall ensure that the establishment and operation of the business, the work plan, the organizational implementation measures comply with the requirements specified in the Working Environment Law. To ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees, employers are required to do the following at all levels of the enterprise: when planning to establish a new plant, renovate a plant or change production processes and equipment, study and evaluate the working environment and reform measures in accordance with the Working Environment Act; Continuously record the risks and related measures in the existing working environment of the enterprise; Constantly check the working environment and employee health when long-term work may endanger employee health; Employers must take appropriate health control measures before hiring employees for night work and periodically check the health of employees after hiring. Employers should inform employees of the risks of accidents and health hazards they may encounter at work and provide them with the necessary training, exercises and guidance.

Article 16 of the Working Environment Act provides for the obligations of employees. Through organized safety and environmental work, employees can participate in creating a safe and secure work environment. Employees shall work in accordance with the guidance and instructions of their superiors and labor inspection departments, use appropriate labor protection equipment, and work carefully to prevent accidental injuries. When an employee is injured at work or has contracted a disease as a result of the work environment, he/she shall promptly report it to the employer or his/her representative. The responsible safety supervisor of the company shall supervise the work as planned within the scope of his/her duties to ensure the safety and health of employees.

[Provisions on Employee sickness and injury] The salary of an employee after illness shall be paid at 65% of his usual income from the 17th day of sick leave. In addition, the corresponding compensation can be obtained from the State voluntary additional security insurance. The national insurance system has special provisions on industrial injuries and is mandatory for employees' compensation for industrial injuries. Self-employed people and freelancers are exempt from this regulation.

Maternity leave: In Norway, maternity leave is a legal right enjoyed by all parents (both fathers and mothers). The maximum duration of paid maternity leave is 56 weeks, except for the first 9 weeks reserved for the mother and 10 weeks for the father, the remaining leave can be freely allocated by the parents. The parent allowance is sponsored by the government and is equivalent to 100% of salary for 46 cumulative weeks or 80% of salary for 53 cumulative weeks. The maximum compensation is approximately NOK 475,300. The employer must pay additional compensation on its own to cover the difference between ordinary wages and the maximum amount of compensation paid by Norwegian national insurance. Parents of children up to the age of 12, and in some cases even up to the age of 18, still receive compensation from the State for the time they need to take leave to care for a sick child.

Article 12 of the Working Environment Act provides for dismissal. The Civil Service Law applies to the dismissal of government employees. The dismissal of seafarers, including those engaged in fishing at sea, is subject to the Seafarers Act. Dismissal is made in accordance with the Working Environment Act when the following conditions are met: The employer must dismiss an employee on the basis of the facts. Dismissal is subject to formal written notice from the employer. When an employer discharges an employee, he or she shall give written notice to the employee or send it by certified mail, indicating in the written notice that the employee has the right to request consultations, proceedings and the time limit. If an employee is dismissed for lack of work, the employer is required to provide information on priority for new work rights. The written notice of termination shall not be effective until it reaches the employee, and the time when the employee receives the notice shall be the time when the termination begins. When an employee is unlawfully dismissed, he may take up the matter with the employer and, if necessary, Sue the employer. If the employee is guilty of serious negligence or serious breach of the work agreement, the employer may dismiss the employee immediately. If the employee does not object, the employer shall first inform the employee representative and issue a letter of dismissal in writing, indicating the employee's right to request consultation, litigation and other rights of the employer and the time limit. Before taking action to dismiss an employee, the employer must consult with the employee and the employee's elected representative, and the legal period for giving notice varies from one to four months.

The Norwegian National Insurance system stipulates that all persons living and working in Norway (except those who are permanent residents of foreign governments or international institutions and those who are staying in Norway for a short period of time) must be insured and are entitled to various benefits accordingly.

There are three sources of national insurance funding:

First, wage earners and freelancers pay social insurance premiums, accounting for about 30% of the total insurance premiums, and wage earners need to pay 7.8% of their wages as insurance premiums; Freelancers, whose income is less than 12 times the base (607, 236 Kronor), must pay 10.7%, and the part above 12 times the base is paid 7.8%;

The second is the employer tax paid by the employer on behalf of the employee, which accounts for about 40% of the total insurance premium. The employer pays 0%, 5.1%, 6.4%, 10.6% or 14.1% tax on the total amount of wages paid to the employee and the five tax districts divided according to the level of economic development of the region;

Third, the state financial allocation, accounting for about 30% of the total amount of insurance.

When an employer plans to hire an employee, it must notify the municipal Social Insurance Office where the job is located. If the working relationship is maintained for more than 6 days and the average working time per week exceeds 3 hours, a written notice must also be submitted to the Social Insurance Office. The employer shall notify the Social Insurance Office of any change in the name, address or place of business of the company. When the notice is submitted to the Social Insurance Office, the company's organizational code must be indicated, which is issued by the Registrar of Legal Persons of the Norwegian Enterprise Registration Office. Termination of an employee's employment, or the employee's leave or layoff (with or without pay) for more than 14 days, must be notified in writing to the Social Security Administration, but it is not necessary to notify the Social Security Administration if the employee on leave remains on the job and receives the employer's pay. Such information is submitted to the Social Insurance Bureau at least once a month.