The Norwegian government has decided to change the holiday law to meet the demands of the European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority (EFTA ESA). Pursuant to the amendment, holiday pay in the first year of employment is to be as close as possible in time to the holiday itself. ESA expects that employees four will be awarded weeks of paid time off from a new job. Secretary state Maria Schumacher Walberg from the Ministry of Labor and Integration announced the search for alternative solutions that will allow employees to receive both holiday pay (feriepenger) and leave itself already in the first year of work. The current Holiday Act (ferieloven) in Norway does not provide for such a right.
At least four weeks of paid vacation per year.
ESA is the EFTA control body that oversees compliance with EEA law. The Office found that the current Norwegian holiday law is contrary to the EU directive. This directive stipulates that workers must have at least four weeks of paid holiday per year. According to the current regulations, holiday pay is calculated from the first day of work in a given calendar year. In Norway, holidays are paid only in the year following their receipt.
Read our next article: Feriepenger in Norway
Holidays and holidays in Norway
At first, Norway refused to accept ESA's demands, explaining that the system for calculating holidays is the same for everyone and involves shifting payments. However, the Ministry of Labor and Integration has declared that it will carry out an analysis of the Act on holiday pay in order to bring the earning and payment of holiday pay closer in time. The reforms could come into force at the earliest next year.
