What are the rules for working hours, and how do they apply to you?
The working time rules ensure a balance between work and leisure. As an engineer or technologist, it's important to know your rights – no matter how your workday is organised.
The rules on working hours form the framework for how your working day can be organised. They define what is considered working hours and free time, set limits for how much you can work, and provide opportunities for flexibility when everyday work requires it.
For NITO members, it is particularly important to understand these rules, as many work in roles with a high degree of independence, project-based work or on-call duty. Knowledge of the working time regulations gives you a better starting point for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and for ensuring that you receive the right compensation when working hours extend beyond normal.
In this article, you'll get an overview of:
- The main rules for working hours
- What is defined as overtime
- what opportunities exist for flexible working hours
We also look at how collective agreements can give you better terms than the minimum requirements of the law.
The rules apply to all employees, unless they have a managerial or particularly independent position.
What are working hours?
- Working hours are the time the employee is at the disposal of the employer.
- The time the employee is not available to the employer is free time. All time is therefore either working time or leisure time.
- Necessary travel time, with the exception of travel between home and permanent place of work, is generally working time.
What is non-work?
Non-working is the time the employee must dispose of it freely and during which the employer cannot impose obligations on the employee.
Employees are entitled to:
- at least 11 hours of continuous non-working hours during 24 hours, and
- at least 35 consecutive hours of non-work during 7 days.
In enterprises that have a collective agreement, union representatives can agree on a shorter work-free period.
What are ordinary working hours?
Ordinary working hours is the term used by the Working Environment Act to describe the ordinary working hours in a full-time position. If you work more than the legal limits for ordinary working hours, it is overtime.
Daily and weekly ordinary working hours
Ordinary working hours may not be longer than
- 9 hours during 24 hours (normal working day) or
- 40 hours in 7 days (normal working week)
The working hours can be shorter, either based on an agreement with union representatives (in companies that have a collective agreement) or an individual agreement, normally 37.5 hours per week. The difference between ordinary working hours and agreed working hours is called additional time.
Reduction of ordinary working hours
In the case of stressful work such as shift work, the Act contains rules on shorter weekly normal working hours.
Where NITO has a collective agreement, the agreed weekly working hours in these cases are further shortened.
Extension of the framework for ordinary working hours - average calculation
The Act allows for the framework for daily and weekly working hours to be extended by agreement between employer and employee, employee representatives (in companies that have a collective agreement) or a trade union.
Such agreements require that the average hours worked do not exceed the limits of ordinary working hours in the law or collective agreement.
Many of NITO's members participate in various on-call arrangements, especially on-call duty.
What working hours agreements can you enter into as a union representative?
As a union representative, you have the opportunity to enter into agreements on working hours that go beyond the normal scheme of the law. Here you will get an overview of the framework and concrete advice.
Overtime
Overtime is time you work beyond the legal limit for ordinary working hours.
The employer cannot plan with overtime, or include it in the work plan.
In the case of overtime work, a supplement of at least 40% must be paid according to the law. In the case of a collective agreement or individual agreement, the overtime pay will normally be higher than 40%.
Flexible working hours
All employees are entitled to flexible working hours, if it does not cause significant disadvantage to the enterprise.
Flexi-time agreements give employees the opportunity to decide for themselves when they want to perform the work, within certain limits.
Working hours in the tairff agreements
NITO's various collective agreements all contain provisions on working hours. See what is written in the collective agreement that applies to you.
- Private sector: NHO collective agreement, chapter 2 and the equivalent for Virke
- Local government sector KS: The common provisions in the Basic Collective Agreement § 4 Working hours
- City of Oslo: Chapter 8 of Document 25/Basic Collective Agreement
- State: The Basic Collective Agreement's Joint Provisions § 7 Working hours
- Samfunnsbedriftene: Energy Agreement II § 5 Working hours
NITO is here when it matters
Many people do not know where to start when uncertainty arises in working life. As a trade union, we are here to give you security, support and concrete advice – when you need it most.
