Norway have several public holidays, many of which fall on regular workdays. While most employees are typically off on these days—unless they're part of a scheduled rotation, duty scheme, or work in industries like hospitality—there are specific rules regarding salary entitlement for public holidays. According to the Norwegian Working Environment Act, not all employees are guaranteed pay for these days if they are not required to work. In this blog, we’ll explore the regulations around salary on public holidays and what both employers and employees need to know to ensure compliance.
Norwegian public holidays
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New Year's Day (1st January)
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Palm Sunday (Sunday before Easter)
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Maundy Thursday (Thursday before Easter)
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Good Friday (Friday before Easter)
- Easter Sunday (Sunday after Easter)
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Easter Monday (Monday after Easter)
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Labor Day (1st May)
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Constitution Day (17th May)
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Ascension Day (39 days after Easter)
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Whit Sunday (Pentecost Sunday, 49 days after Easter)
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Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday, 50 days after Easter)
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Christmas Day (25th December)
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Boxing Day (26th December)
Ready for the next step?
Contact our team of experts for legal advice and make sure you are compliant with Norwegian laws and regulations.
Employees with monthly salary
Employees with monthly salary or yearly salary divided by 12, have the right to the same monthly pay every month. In other words, they are entitled to salary on public holidays even if they are not working. They also receive the same salary in a month with 28 days as in a month with 30 or 31 days.
The following paragraphs don't apply to employees with monthly salary.
Also read: Employee rights in Norway
1st of May and 17th of May
The public holidays, 1st of May (labor day) and 17th of May (Constitution Day), are regulated in the Public Holiday Act of 147-04-26 no 1.
Employees who are not working on the 1st and 17th of May have a right to salary on these two public holidays as long as they do not fall on a Sunday or on the same day as other public holidays.
For the employee to have a right to salary he or she must have been employed for at least 30 days. Alternatively, he or she must have been employed prior to 1st or 17th of May and continue the employment for at least 30 days going forward. To have a right to salary, the public holiday must normally be a work day for the employee. If May 17 falls on a Wednesday and this normally is a day off for the employee, there is of course no right to pay.
Employees that must work on May 1st or 17th are entitled to ordinary salary + 50%.
Other public holidays
For other public holidays besides May 1st and 17th there is no legal obligation to pay salary if the employee has the day off, even if the business keeps closed that day. When it comes to the right to have the day off, the public holidays are considered the same as Sundays. According to the Norwegian Working Environment Act section 10-10, the employee should not work between 18:00 the day before the public holiday and 22:00 the evening before the next work day.
Also read: The rules for temporary employment in Norway
The agreement
The right to salary on public holidays depends on the agreement between the employer and the employee. Many collective agreements give the employee a right to salary on public holidays. If there is no collective agreement the employee manual, individual employment contract or common practice in the business should describe the right to salary on public holidays.
If the employee already has the day off according to their normal work schedule, he or she has no right to salary when the day off falls on a public holiday.
Employees that are paid by the hour without an agreement will receive less pay in months with many public holidays than employees with monthly pay.
In some collective agreements the employee must have been employed for 30 days prior to the public holiday or he or she must be employed for 30 days onward.
If public holidays are not mentioned in the employment contract, the employee will not have a right to salary on other public holidays than 1st and 17th of May.
Working on a public holiday
Employees working on a public holiday will have a right to pay and extra pay in the same way as if they work on a Sunday. In businesses with a collective agreement the extra pay is 100% of normal hourly rate.
Ready for the next step?
Contact our team of experts for legal advice and make sure you are compliant with Norwegian laws and regulations.
