What are the rules for working from home in 2025?

Can my employer order me to work from home? 

The starting point is that home office must be voluntary from both parties so that the employer cannot order you to work from home. It may be good to note that there is a difference between an employer ordering you to work from home and offering a position where you have to work from home. 

Exception: If the authorities order or advise the employer to impose a home office.

Do I have the right to work from home?  

There is no statutory right to work from home. The employer has management rights and can therefore decide whether this is something they want to offer as a benefit to the employees. However, it is probably the case that many employers see it as beneficial to have a home office arrangement in the company in order to retain and recruit competent employees. 

If you are looking for a new job, it may be a good idea to get a written letter from your employer about what kind of arrangement they have for working from home. If working from home is crucial for you, it must be agreed individually, and it must be clear what has been agreed. 

However, please note that most home office agreements can be terminated without any particular reason. 

Do you have to have an agreement about working from home? 

If you work from home permanently , the Home Office Regulations (lovdata.no) apply. You are considered to work from home permanently if you work from home 1 day a week or more on average, over a period that is not entirely short-lived. 

The regulations state that a home office agreement must be entered into in addition to the employment contract if the arrangement is permanent. 

Checklist for working from home

The agreement shall at least regulate the following: 

1. The scope of homework
2. Working hours for working from home
3. Any provisions regarding when the employee must be available to the employer
4. If the agreement is temporary; Expected duration
5. Any provisions on the right to amend or terminate the agreement on working from home, deadlines for such termination, etc.
6. Any provisions on probationary periods for the homework scheme
7. Ownership, operation and maintenance of equipment
8. Any provisions on case processing, duty of confidentiality and storage of documents

The agreement must be updated if there are changes. 

Can I require my employer to pay for equipment?

There are no rules for who should cover the costs of equipment needed in the home office. Some employers cover both internet costs, expenses for furniture and other equipment, while others place the responsibility on the employee.

NITO believes that the union representatives can play an important role in finding good solutions for the employees in terms of cost coverage and equipment.

What is the employer's responsibility for the working environment?

The rules in the Working Environment Act concerning the employer's obligations related to the working environment do not apply to the same extent in home offices as otherwise. The Home Office Regulations, on the other hand, have a special rule to ensure that the safety, health and welfare of employees are safeguarded.

This rule states that the employer shall, as far as practicable, ensure that the working conditions are fully justifiable. This applies, among other things, to ensuring that the workplace, work equipment and indoor environment do not cause unfortunate physical strain, and that the psychosocial working environment is safeguarded.

The regulations also state that employees must contribute to the implementation of the measures that are implemented to create a healthy and safe working environment in the home office.  

It may vary from company to company how the employer follows up this duty. Some probably take the responsibility very seriously, while others demand that the employees themselves guarantee that the working conditions are fully justifiable.

Am I covered by the occupational injury insurance when working from home?

As long as you work from home, you are covered by occupational injury insurance.

However, when it comes to coverage during meal and rest breaks, there is a difference between whether you are working from home or your usual place of work. You are also not covered for travel between the home office and another place of employment if it is not necessary to work from home on the day in question.  

Occupational injury insurance is intended to compensate for accidents that result in injuries that occur while you are at work, at the workplace and during working hours. When you work from home, your place of work has been temporarily moved home and you will be covered for as long as you perform work.  

The Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of injuries during breaks at other workplaces cannot be transferred to the home. In practice, this means that employees are only covered while they are actually working from home and not during breaks.

Practice is also strict when it comes to occupational injury coverage on business trips between home office and another place of work. In a judgment from 2023, the Court of Appeal found that when home office is not necessary on the day of the injury, you are not covered when travelling between home office and another place of work. 

NITO works to improve occupational injury coverage

NITO believes that occupational injury legislation must be updated in line with the fact that working from home has become an integral part of people's everyday work. We are working with the government to strengthen insurance protection in the home office.