On 1 January 2023, several new rules in the working life area entered into force. Here are some of the most important legislative and regulatory changes that employers and others should be aware of:
- Main rule on full-time employment. From 1 January, the Working Environment Act contains a general rule that employees must be employed full-time. Before one can hire part-time, the employer must document a need in writing and discuss it with employee representatives. The use of part-time must also be discussed with the employee representatives at least once a year.
- Extended preferential right for part-time employees. The preferential right for part-time employees to have their position extended previously only applied when the employer made a new appointment. According to Section 14-3 of the Working Environment Act, part-time employees now also have the right to extend their position rather than the employer hiring contracted workers, as well as by assigning extra shifts and the like.
- Registration of duties and financial interests. A new provision in the State Employees' Act § 39a gives state employers a basis for requiring employees in certain positions to register duties and financial interests. This only applies if such registration is necessary based on the duties and responsibilities of the position.
- Pension from the first krone also for the self-employed and freelancers. With effect from 2023, the Defined-Contribution Pensions Act has been amended so that self-employed and freelancers who are part of a voluntary pension scheme also receive tax-favored pension savings from the first krone. The amendment brings these schemes into line with the collective occupational pension schemes.
- More rights for posted workers. For employees who are sent from another country to work, more of the rules in the Working Environment Act now apply than before. Foreign businesses that send employees to Norway must now also comply with several documentation requirements. In addition, a rule has been introduced that places responsibility for wages and working conditions when workers hired from a temporary agency are sent to another country to work.
