Employment Agreement

One might think that employments is one of those few areas where standard agreements already exist. The law is pretty strict on what can and cannot be agreed between employer and employee, there are lots of legal precedent cases.

However, not even lawyers agree on what a normal employment contract (ansettelsesavtaler) looks like. To all employers, to all employees and to all labor lawyers out there – unite! We’re proud to present to you four different templates for Norwegian employment agreements:

• Permanent employment (fast ansettelse): This is the normal form of employment in Norway where the employee is hired for an indefinite period of time.
• Probationary period (prøvetid): When an employee is newly hired, you have the possibility to let the person go with two weeks’ notice during the first six months of the employment. This is called the probationary period. After six months, if not ended before, it automatically converts into a permanent employment.
• Managing directors: Norwegian employment law is quite restrictive regarding employment conditions and terms relating to firing employees. However, in some cases exceptions can be made for managing directors. In those cases (verify if applicable!) you can use this template.
• Hourly wage: If someone’s salary is irregular and based on the number of hours worked, this template may be useful.

As always, the information and documents published here are intended for general information purposes only. When using the documents, in case of doubt, always consult with legal expertise before signing.

/Erik Byrenius