Holiday Pay in Norway

• According to the Norwegian Vacation Act (ferieloven), everyone has the right to 25 working days of vacation per year.

• Working days are counted from Monday to Saturday (25 vacation days = four weeks + one day).

• The vacation year corresponds to the calendar year.

• Vacation days (feriedager) are granted to ALL employees, regardless of whether they receive vacation benefits (feriepenger).

• Employees who are 60 years old or older are entitled to an additional 6 days of vacation.

• The employment contract may include information about a higher number of vacation days (union agreement or employer's goodwill).

• Employees in companies covered by union agreements have the right to a fifth week (6 working days) of vacation.

• A person starting work after September 30th is entitled to 6 days of vacation.

• Typically, employees in Norway choose their vacation and receive vacation benefits during the vacation period from J une 1st to September 30th.

• Holiday benefits (feriepenger) are earned for the following calendar year.

• The standard vacation benefit rate (feriepenger) is 10.2%.

• Employees who are 60 years old or older have the right to an additional 2.3% benefit.

• Employees in companies covered by collective agreements have a vacation benefit rate of 12% - this is not included in the Holiday Act.

• Taxation of the benefit occurs in the remaining months, so when holiday benefits are paid out, employees receive a larger sum to use for their holidays.

• The employer is obligated to ensure that the employee uses all the vacation days allotted to them in a given year.

• Unused holiday days cannot be exchanged for monetary compensation.

• The holiday benefit - feriepenger for unused vacation - is paid out only in the case of terminating employment with a specific employer.

• The employer should discuss the timing of vacation usage with the employee and/or the trust representative. If the parties do not agree, the employer has the final say in the matter.

• Employees posted to Norway through branches of foreign companies (NUF) are also subject to the provisions of the Norwegian Holiday  Act.