Working life in Norway is built on predictability, safety, and a sensible balance between job and home. That is why overtime is tightly regulated. If you are new to the Norwegian system, the rules can feel detailed at first, but they are straightforward once you see how the pieces fit together. I have spent my entire career here and have helped many international colleagues navigate overtime, pay supplements, and the limits you need to know.
In short, overtime in Norway is work performed beyond the legal or agreed working time, and it is allowed only when there is a special and time-limited need. You are generally entitled to an overtime supplement of at least 40 percent on top of your regular hourly pay. There are also strict caps, for example no more than 10 hours of overtime in 7 days, 25 hours in 4 weeks, and 200 hours in 52 weeks, unless a collective agreement or authority approval allows a higher ceiling. Some roles are exempt, and time off rules are equally important.
Let’s take a deeper dive into overtime rules in Norway, what counts as overtime, how it is paid, and the practical tips I share with new hires and visiting managers every year.
What Counts as Overtime in Norway
Overtime is work that goes beyond your legal or agreed daily and weekly hours. If your contract or collective agreement sets normal working time at 37.5 hours per week, then overtime is everything beyond that legal framework, not merely what your manager considers “busy season.”
A few clarifications help:
- If you are part time, hours above your contracted percentage but below full time are not overtime yet, they are usually paid as “extra hours” at the normal rate unless your agreement says otherwise.
- Overtime requires a special and temporary need, for example unexpected absence, urgent deadlines, safety incidents, or seasonal spikes. Routine understaffing is not a valid reason.
- Work during nights, Sundays, or public holidays may trigger own premiums in collective agreements, but those premiums are separate from overtime rules. You can sometimes have both.
Standard Working Time in Norway
The legal default is 9 hours in 24 hours and 40 hours in 7 days. Many workplaces, especially those covered by collective bargaining, run 7.5 hours per day and 37.5 hours per week, which is common in offices and many public sector roles.
Two rest rules are crucial:
- Daily rest must be 11 consecutive hours between shifts.
- Weekly rest must be 35 consecutive hours, usually including Sunday.
These rest periods limit how much overtime can be stacked around normal hours.
Legal Limits on Overtime
Norway sets strict ceilings to prevent exhaustion and accidents:
- Maximum overtime without special agreements is 10 hours in 7 days, 25 hours in 4 weeks, and 200 hours in 52 weeks.
- Total working time, including overtime, must not exceed 13 hours in 24 hours.
- With a binding collective agreement with a union, the caps can be raised somewhat, for example to 20 hours in 7 days and 50 hours in 4 weeks.
- With Labor Inspection Authority approval and union involvement, the annual limit can be increased, typically up to 300 hours. This is used sparingly and for time-limited peaks.
Your HR team should tell you which framework applies at your workplace. When in doubt, ask to see the working time provisions in your contract or the collective agreement.
Overtime Pay: The 40 Percent Rule and Typical Supplements
By law, you are entitled to an overtime supplement of at least 40 percent on top of your regular hourly wage for approved overtime hours. Many collective agreements are more generous, often paying 50 percent on weekday evenings and 100 percent on Sundays or public holidays. Some sectors also add a fixed krona premium for late hours.
A couple of practical points from Norwegian workplaces:
- The minimum 40 percent is a floor, not the norm. If your colleagues mention “time-and-a-half,” they are likely quoting their collective agreement, not the statute.
- The overtime rate is typically calculated from your base hourly pay. Some agreements include certain allowances, others do not. Always check what your local rules count as “basis.”
Time Off in Lieu, Also Called “Avspasering”
Time off in lieu is very common in Norway, especially in public sector and project-based environments. You can agree with your employer to take the overtime hours as paid time off later. Whether the supplement is paid in cash or also converted to time off depends on your agreement or local policy. If you value predictable income, ask to receive the supplement as money and only the hours as time off. If you value flexibility, you might bank both.
My rule of thumb for new arrivals: get the arrangement in writing and make sure your payroll system records it properly. It saves everyone headaches.
Part Time Workers and “Extra Hours”
If you work part time, your hours between your contracted level and full-time level are usually extra hours at the regular rate. Once you cross the full-time threshold, the overtime rules and supplements kick in. Many part-time employees miss out on valid supplements simply because time sheets were not marked clearly. Be precise with your entries so payroll can calculate correctly.
Who Is Exempt From Overtime Rules
Employees in leading or particularly independent positions can be exempt from the overtime provisions. In practice, this tends to cover people with genuine management authority, budget responsibility, or very autonomous specialist roles. It does not mean “anyone with a fancy title.” Norwegian inspectors look at actual control over your own working time. If you are contractually classified as exempt, make sure the classification is credible and that your salary compensates for the flexibility expected.
Night, Weekend, and Holiday Work
Night work, Sunday work, and public holiday shifts are tightly regulated and often require a valid operational reason. Many collective agreements pay extra premiums for these times, separate from overtime. If you work overtime at night or on a holiday, you can stack the overtime supplement and the unsocial hours premium if your agreement says so. This is why holiday overtime can be significantly more valuable than weekday daytime overtime.
On-Call Duty and Travel Time
Two areas often confuse newcomers:
- On-call duty at home counts partly as working time, depending on how restrictive it is. If you must respond within a few minutes and cannot leave the house, more of that period counts as work. If you simply must keep your phone on, less counts. The specific percentage is usually set by your collective agreement or a local policy.
- Travel time outside normal hours is not automatically overtime. If you are working while traveling, for example performing tasks, monitoring systems, or troubleshooting, it can count as working time. Pure transit, like sitting on a train, may be paid differently or compensated with time off according to local rules. Always check what your contract says about travel compensation.
Can You Refuse Overtime
Yes, within reason. You can refuse overtime if you have weighty health or welfare reasons, for example documented health concerns or care responsibilities. Pregnant employees and young workers have additional protections. If overtime would violate the daily or weekly rest rules or push total working time beyond legal limits, you can say no. If you are ever unsure, raise it with your line manager and HR early. In Norway, voicing these concerns is normal and expected.
How Overtime Is Ordered and Recorded
Overtime must be ordered or clearly approved by the employer. Do not assume that staying late automatically becomes overtime. Get your manager’s confirmation by email, chat, or a timekeeping tool. Employers are required to keep accurate records of working hours, including overtime and rest periods. If a workplace is audited, the time logs are what matter.
From experience, good timekeeping avoids disputes. Set a habit to submit your hours weekly, not at the end of the month.
Common Pitfalls I See With International Staff
A few recurring mistakes are easy to avoid:
- Treating overtime as a standing solution to short staffing. Norwegian managers are careful with this, and inspectors do notice patterns.
- Forgetting that the 11-hour daily rest rule limits how late you can work before an early start.
- Not logging extra hours for part-time staff separately from overtime, which muddles pay calculations.
- Assuming managerial titles automatically mean exempt status. They do not. The substance of your role is what counts.
- Mixing up overtime supplements with unsocial hours premiums. They are different buckets that can sometimes apply at the same time.
Practical Tips For Employees
- Before a busy period, ask your manager, “Which overtime framework applies to us, and which supplements are standard here?”
- Keep your own running tally of overtime against the 10/25/200 rule so you are never surprised.
- If you prefer time off in lieu, agree on how the supplement is handled and how soon you should take the days. In my teams we aim to take the time off within the next quarter.
- Mark your time sheets with clear comments like “overtime, approved by Anna,” so payroll can code it correctly.
Practical Tips For Employers and Team Leads
- Plan rosters to avoid systematic overtime. In Norway, that signals a staffing problem, not employee heroics.
- Train supervisors on the approval and recording rule. If it is not logged, it did not happen, which is unfair for both sides.
- Review on-call and travel policies so they align with your collective agreement and are easy to understand for international staff.
- For exempt roles, double-check that the job content and salary level genuinely support that classification.
Simple Overtime Calculations
A quick example keeps it tangible.
- Your base hourly rate is 300 NOK.
- You work 3 hours of approved overtime on a Tuesday evening.
- Your overtime supplement is the legal minimum 40 percent.
You would earn 3 hours × 300 NOK = 900 NOK plus a supplement of 3 hours × 120 NOK = 360 NOK, total 1,260 NOK. If your collective agreement sets a 50 percent supplement, the total becomes 1,350 NOK. If the same hours fell on a public holiday with a 100 percent premium in your agreement, the total could rise further, subject to how your workplace stacks premiums.
If you choose time off in lieu, you and your employer can agree to take the 3 hours as paid time off later, while handling the supplement according to your local policy. Get the specifics down in writing so there is no mix-up when you book your day off.
Final Notes From a Norwegian Workplace
Overtime in Norway is a safety valve, not a lifestyle. Used sparingly, it helps teams deliver when life happens, and you should be paid fairly when you step up. If you remember the core numbers, 40 percent supplement, 10 hours in 7 days, 25 in 4 weeks, 200 in a year, plus the 11-hour daily rest, you will already be ahead of most confusion. Combine that with clear approvals and honest timekeeping, and you will fit right into how we do things here.