Why you shouldn't answer your boss this summer
Many Norwegians have taken a well-deserved summer break from both work and home office. However, many people feel pressure to keep up and be available during the holidays, according to a recent survey from NITO.
"Everyone has the right to take holiday, and it is actually the employer who has the main responsibility for ensuring that you as an employee are able to take your holiday," says Farah Ali, lawyer and head of legal affairs at NITO.
NITO's member survey shows that 57.4 per cent will be available to employers this summer.
The same survey shows that 29.5 percent believe they had to perform work tasks for their employer during the summer holidays.
Bad culture and management problem
Before the summer, NITO received feedback from some members where the employer had drawn up a list of who wanted to be contacted or not during the holidays. This surprises the NITO lawyers.
"It's surprising that so many managers expect accessibility. Many people don't think it's a problem to work during the holidays, because most people only work a few hours. The problem is when volunteering is replaced by expectations," says Ali.
What you are entitled to, among other things, in connection with holidays
- Entire holiday weeks – but it is possible to take holiday days individually if the employer approves this.
- You are entitled to three consecutive weeks of holiday during the main holiday period (1 June to 30 September). The rest of the holiday can be claimed to be taken as a whole.
- Holiday during the notice period is regulated separately in the Holiday Act.
- When starting a new job late in the main holiday period, the Holiday Act specifically regulates this:
- If you start a new job after 15 August, you are entitled to full holiday time, but cannot demand that it be taken during the main holiday period. This requires the approval of the new employer. However, the holiday must be taken during the year
- If you start a new job after 1 October, you are only entitled to 1 week of holiday (6 working days), and you must document that this holiday has not been taken with your previous employer.
If holiday has been agreed with the employer, it takes a lot before the holiday can be interrupted or not carried out. Good planning at the workplace and by the employer in advance will solve the holiday solitaire and ensure that each individual employee can complete the holiday without disruption.
"If there is an expectation to work during the holidays, there is a bad culture and a management problem that must be addressed.
Farah Ali
Talk to each other
The NITO lawyers believe that many misunderstandings can be avoided if everyone sits down and does a review before the holiday. Especially for those who do not know whether the employer has expectations for availability during the holidays.
"Managers must become better at planning and facilitating that employees do not have to be available. The easiest way to avoid pressure of expectations and uncertainty is to sit down with your boss and talk before the holiday," says Ali.
The NITO lawyer makes one final request now that the holiday is well underway:
- Log out, turn off notifications and take a holiday with a clear conscience!
Farah Ali