First day. Coffee, new faces and one sentence that should make you pause
You arrive a few minutes early.
Someone shows you the cloakroom.
You get work clothes or a computer.
You meet the manager.
Everything looks normal.
You only ask:
„And the contract?”
And you hear:
„Don’t worry. Work for a few days first, then we’ll sign everything.”
You don’t have to make a scene right away.
But don’t treat that sentence as a Norwegian standard.
A written employment contract is not a reward after a probationary period. It is your right.
Every employee should have a written arbeidsavtale, regardless of whether they work permanently, temporarily, full-time, a few hours a week or even just one day.
Check the official rules and contract templates:
Arbeidstilsynet — arbeidsavtale and contract templates
1. „You’ll get the contract later” — how long does that mean?
That depends on the length of employment.
If the job is to last more than a month, the contract should be signed as soon as possible and no later than 7 days after starting work.
If the employment is to last at most a month, the written contract must be ready no later than on the day the work begins.
The same rule of an immediate contract also applies in situations where a company hires you in order to rent you out further as an employee.
This does not mean:
„for the first seven days you work without any rights”.
You have employee rights even when the employer has not fulfilled their duty and has not prepared the document.
But for you, the practically most important thing is:
don’t let „in a few days” turn into „in a few months”.
What to look for in the contract?
You don’t have to read it like a lawyer.
First, find the things that most often cause disputes later:
who your employer is,
where you work,
what your position and duties are,
when you start,
whether the employment is permanent or temporary,
what your working hours are,
how much the salary is,
when it is paid,
what the rules for working time are,
what has been agreed regarding overtime,
what the notice period is,
what rules apply to feriepenger.
Arbeidstilsynet points to exactly these elements as part of the information that should be included in the arbeidsavtale.
In P0-15 we will return to the contract itself in much more detail.
This is about one thing:
on the first day you should know under what conditions you are actually working.
2. Record your hours. Even if „the boss has everything in the system”
You start at 07:00.
You finish at 15:00.
The next day you stay until 17:30.
On Friday the manager says:
„Don’t worry, we have all the hours.”
Great.
But you should also have your own.
The employer is obliged to keep a written, up-to-date record of the actual working time of each employee. It should show, among other things, the date, the start and end times of work, and any overtime.
Official rules for recording working hours:
Arbeidstilsynet — registration of working time
This does not mean that you have to run a second HR system.
Your own note is enough:
3 October — 07:00–15:00
4 October — 07:00–17:30
5 October — 07:00–15:00
Why?
Because after three months it's hard to reconstruct from memory whether on a particular Tuesday you worked 8, 10 or 12 hours.
And if the pay doesn't match, your own notes help a lot.
3. "Here everyone works 10 hours" does not create its own employment law
Norwegian regulations provide limits for ordinary working time.
The main rule is:
a maximum of 9 hours within 24 hours
and:
40 hours within 7 days.
In some shift and roster systems the statutory weekly limit is lower, e.g. 38 or 36 hours. A contract or collective agreement may also provide better conditions, and a 37.5-hour week is very common.
This does not mean that you can never work more than 9 hours.
Among other things there are rules on averaging working time and overtime.
Therefore don't try to judge the whole system based on one shift.
But if for months you hear:
"Here we always work 12 hours, we don't record anything"
then it's worth checking on what basis the working time is organized.
Current rules:
Arbeidstilsynet — working time
4. Overtime does not only mean "more hours"
This is one of the more common problems.
The employee stays two hours longer.
At the end of the month they check their pay.
They received the ordinary rate.
They ask:
"And the extra pay?"
Answer:
"But we paid you for all the hours."
That is not always enough.
For work that qualifies as overtime according to the Working Environment Act (arbeidsmiljøloven), the employee is entitled to a supplement of at least 40% of the agreed hourly rate. A contract or collective agreement may give more.
Example:
normal rate: 250 NOK/h
statutory minimum overtime supplement: 100 NOK
so for that hour:
350 NOK
in a typical situation covered by the statutory rules on overtime.
Not every hour beyond your individual contracted hours automatically counts as statutory overtime. With part-time employment, some additional hours may be merarbeid until the statutory limits of ordinary working time are exceeded. However, a collective agreement may provide better terms.
Therefore look at:
the contract + the actually worked hours + any applicable collective agreement.
Check the rules on overtime:
Arbeidstilsynet — overtime
And if the boss says: "Overtime is already included in your salary"?
Such an arrangement can exist.
But saying that is not enough:
"you have everything in the monthly pay".
If part of the fixed salary is meant to cover payment for overtime, it must be clearly visible what is ordinary pay and what is payment for overtime. The agreed compensation must at least cover the statutory overtime supplement.
And one more important thing.
You can agree in writing to take overtime hours as time off.
But even then a supplement of at least 40% should still be paid.
5. A break is not "the boss's courtesy"
You work from 07:00.
It's 13:30.
There still hasn't been a normal break.
You hear:
"Lots of work today. You'll eat later."
Regulations do not treat breaks as a gift from the employer.
If the daily working time exceeds 5.5 hours, you are entitled to at least one break.
If you work 8 hours or more, breaks should total at least 30 minutes.
And now a detail that many people overlook.
If during the break:
you cannot freely leave the workplace
or:
there is no suitable room for rest or a meal,
the break is treated as working time.
Check the official rules on breaks:
Arbeidstilsynet — working time and breaks
6. "In Norway there is a minimum wage of 250 kroner" — there is no single rate for everyone
This is one of the most persistent myths.
Norway does not have a single statutory minimum wage applicable to all workers.
Currently statutory minimum rates apply in 10 industries:
the automotive industry,
construction,
electrical industry,
the seafood industry,
road freight transport,
agriculture and horticulture,
hotels, restaurants and catering,
tourist bus transport,
cleaning,
shipbuilding industry.
Importantly, the automotive sector has been covered by a statutory minimum wage since 15 June 2026, so older guides may give an outdated number of industries.
If you work outside industries covered by general application, the level of pay is basically determined in the contract or follows from a collective agreement.
Before you accept a rate, check your industry here:
Arbeidstilsynet — current minimum rates in Norway
Do not use a table found in an old post from three years ago.
Rates change.
7. Pay is not just the amount that appears in your account
First payday.
The phone vibrates.
The account shows:
31 842 NOK
Great.
But where does that number come from?
How many hours were there?
How much tax?
Are the overtime hours correct?
Was there any deduction?
That is exactly why lønnsslipp exists.
When paying your salary, the employer should give you a document showing, among other things:
how the pay was calculated,
the basis for calculating feriepenger,
tax deducted,
any other possible deductions.
Official information about pay:
Arbeidstilsynet — salary on the lønnsslipp
Do not throw away these documents.
Keep them.
In P0-14 we will break down a specific lønnsslipp into parts and show how to check the payment.
“The boss said I should buy the gloves myself”
In some occupations safety is not an addition to the work.
It is part of the job.
If, after a risk assessment, personal protective equipment is needed, the employer is obliged to provide it, ensure proper selection and train employees in its use. The information and training should be understandable to the employee.
We are talking here, for example, about:
a helmet,
hearing protection,
safety goggles,
protective gloves,
respiratory protection,
protective footwear,
fall protection.
Check the rules regarding protective equipment:
Arbeidstilsynet — personal protective equipment
This does not mean that every item of clothing used in every job is always paid for by the employer.
We mean protective equipment required for workplace safety.
“I don't understand the instructions, but others will show you”
That should not be the standard either.
The employer is responsible for a safe working environment and should provide the necessary training and information in a language you understand.
If you are to operate:
a machine,
a chemical substance,
a device,
work at heights,
or perform another task that carries risk,
the sentence:
“Watch what your colleague does and do the same”
is not always sufficient training.
If you do not understand something, ask.
Not because you are a problematic employee.
Because you should return home after your shift in the same condition you arrived in.
Who is the safety representative and why is it worth knowing who they are?
Most companies have a safety representative.
This is an employee representative who deals with safety and the working environment.
Companies should have at least one safety representative, although in businesses employing fewer than 5 workers another solution can be agreed in writing.
A safety representative can be the person you go to when:
you see dangerous conditions,
safety measures are missing,
employees are not receiving the necessary training,
a risk to health arises,
you do not know how to report a problem.
In the event of an immediate threat to life or health, the safety representative even has the authority to stop work.
Check what the safety representative does:
Arbeidstilsynet — safety representative
One of the first questions at a new job can therefore be:
“Who is the safety representative here?”
And what if something is really wrong?
Not every conflict with the manager is "whistleblowing".
Not every refusal of a pay raise is an irregularity.
But an employee has the right to report critical conditions in the workplace, e.g. threats to life or health, serious violations of the law, harassment, or other unacceptable working conditions.
The laws protect the employee from retaliation for lawful reporting of such conditions.
If the problem is serious, start with the official guide:
Arbeidstilsynet — whistleblowing about critical conditions
You can also talk to:
the manager,
the safety representative,
a union representative,
the trade union,
or ask Arbeidstilsynet for guidance.
Do not sign hours you did not work. And do not delete your own evidence
It's a simple practical rule.
Keep:
the contract,
lønnsslipp,
your own record of hours,
work schedules,
important messages from the manager,
documents concerning changes to employment terms.
Not to prepare for war with the employer from day one.
Most employment relationships never end up in any dispute.
But if after six months a question arises:
"How many hours did I actually work?"
It's easier to show a document than to reconstruct six months from memory.
First week at work — do this short check
Do you have a written contract or do you know exactly when you will receive it according to the statutory deadline?
Do you know:
how much do you earn?
when is payday?
how many hours are you supposed to work?
how are hours recorded?
how is overtime accounted for?
when do you have a break?
who is your supervisor?
who is the safety representative?
how do you report dangerous situations?
have you received the necessary training and equipment?
If so, you have a much better start.
If the answer to half of the questions is:
"I don't know, nobody told me anything"
don't wait six months.
Ask now.
What next?
Work has started.
The first month goes by.
The first full salary is paid into your account.
You receive a document full of numbers and abbreviations:
gross pay,
withholding tax,
feriepenger,
overtime,
allowances,
deductions,
net pay.
And often the first reaction is:
"The amount roughly matches, so it's probably fine."
Don't guess.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Arbeidstilsynet — employee rights and obligations
Contract, working hours, safety, safety representative and other basic rights.
Your rights and duties in working life
Arbeidstilsynet — employment contract
Current deadlines and requirements for a written contract.
Arbeidstilsynet — working hours and overtime
Limits on working time, recording of hours and the minimum overtime supplement.
Arbeidstilsynet — minimum wage
Current industries and statutory minimum rates.
Arbeidstilsynet — salary
Remuneration, payment and lønnsslipp.
Information checked: 03.10.2026
