This article explains the expanded requirements for written employment contracts in Norway that apply from 1 July 2024, including deadlines and the position of existing employees. It is written for employers, including foreign companies establishing in Norway, and for HR staff who draft employment contracts.
Background
Since 1 July 2024, the Working Environment Act (arbeidsmiljøloven) has required employers to include more information in written employment contracts. The amendments implement the EU Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions (Directive (EU) 2019/1152), which Norway is bound by under the EEA Agreement. The mandatory content is set out in Section 14-6 of the Working Environment Act.
Norwegian employment contracts have traditionally been fairly short, with many terms described in staff handbooks or internal guidelines. The amendments require more of this information to appear in the contract itself. This raises the question of which terms are binding contractual terms and which are information about arrangements the employer may change under its managerial prerogative (styringsrett).
Expanded mandatory content
Place of work
The contract must state the place of work. If the employee is free to decide where to work, the contract must state that the work is carried out at different locations or that the employee may choose the place of work.
Working hours
The contract must, among other things, state:
whether the employee will have varying daily or weekly working hours
arrangements for work beyond the agreed hours, including pay for overtime
arrangements for changing shifts, where relevant
Reference may be made to legislation or collective agreements where relevant.
Pay
The different pay elements must be specified separately, for example cash pay, benefits in kind, bonuses, supplements and other remuneration related to the work. If the pay elements follow from a collective agreement, a reference to the agreement is sufficient.
Paid leave
The contract must state any entitlement to leave with full or partial pay from the employer, such as full pay during sick leave beyond what the law requires, or welfare leave with pay.
Training
The contract must describe any right to training provided by the employer. A general description of the employer’s training policy may be sufficient.
Social security benefits
The contract must provide information about social security benefits paid by the employer and the institutions that receive the payments. In Norway this mainly concerns pension and insurance schemes. Where the employer participates in the contractual early retirement scheme (AFP), this may be mentioned, but care should be taken, as entitlement depends on individual conditions.
Termination procedure
The contract must describe the procedure to be followed if either party wishes to end the employment. This concerns the procedure, not the grounds for termination. In practice, reference is often made to the rules on consultation meetings, formal requirements and notice periods in Chapter 15 of the Working Environment Act.
Temporary and part-time employment
A contract for temporary employment must state the expected duration and the legal basis for the temporary employment. If the contract does not state that the employment is temporary, the employment is presumed to be permanent unless the employer shows that it is overwhelmingly likely (overveiende sannsynlig) that something else was agreed.
A corresponding presumption applies to the scope of the position: if the contract does not state the position percentage, the employee’s claim regarding the scope is presumed correct unless the employer shows otherwise to the same standard.
Temporary agency workers
For employees of temporary work agencies, the contract must state the name of the hiring undertaking as soon as it is known. Changes must be documented in writing, for example in an addendum.
Deadlines
A written employment contract must be entered into no later than seven days after the employment starts. For employment of shorter duration than one month, and for hiring out of employees, the contract must be entered into immediately.
Changes to the employment relationship must be documented in writing as early as possible and no later than the day the change takes effect.
Existing employees
Employers are not required to update contracts entered into before 1 July 2024. An employee may, however, request that the contract be supplemented with the new information, and the employer must comply as early as possible and no later than two months after the request.
Practical points for drafting
With more information in the contract, it is important to distinguish between:
terms intended to be binding on the parties
information included only to meet the statutory disclosure requirements
Where the employer intends only to describe current arrangements, this should be stated expressly. Many employers place such information in appendices and state that the arrangements may be changed by the employer within the limits of its managerial prerogative and applicable law.
How we can help
We assist employers, including foreign companies establishing in Norway, with employment contract templates, reviews of existing contracts and other employment law questions. You can read more about the firm at advokats.no or get in touch through our contact page.
This article provides general information as of 29 October 2026 and is not legal advice for your specific situation.
