Amendment to the Norwegian Working Environment Act to reinforce the right to full-time employment – applies to all Norwegian organisations.
As of 1 January 2023, new requirements came into force pursuant to the Working Environment Act for organisations wanting to fill part-time positions. As a result, affected organisations need to update their procedures.
More information about the change to the legislation and the reasoning can be found here (in Norwegian):
https://lovdata.no/dokument/LTI/lov/2022-12-09-88
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/vil-styrke-retten-til-heltidsjobb/id2919492/
What does this change to the legislation mean for employers?
Employers must justify the need for the part-time position in writing in each individual case. They must provide the reasoning to trade union representatives or other employee representatives and then discuss the matter with them.
To ensure compliance with this requirement of full-time employment being the norm, employers must:
- Document/justify the need for the part-time position in writing in each case
- Discuss the issue of part-time employment with trade union representatives, safety officers or other elected representatives
As of 1 January 2023, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has the authority to check that such documentation is in place and that the parties have carried out such discussions where required.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority does not have the authority to re-examine the employer’s assessments or to set requirements as to how the discussions are to take place.
New functionality in ReachMee: “Reason for part-time position”
Applies to all customers with the functionality “Reason for part-time position” activated. Customers must request to have this functionality activated.
The “Reason for part-time position” functionality ensures that the need for a part-time position is justified in writing by the organisation, to ensure compliance with the Working Environment Act’s requirement of full-time employment being the norm. It will also be possible to enter the date of the discussion meeting.
If your organisation wishes to activate this functionality or has any questions, please contact us here.