You may work on a Sunday or public holiday when the nature of the work makes it necessary, or a lawful exception applies. You are entitled to rest under working-time rules. Extra Sunday pay usually comes from your employment contract or a collective agreement. 1 and 17 May have separate rules on pay and supplements.
When is Sunday work allowed?
As a starting point, Sunday work is not allowed. The Working Environment Act permits it when the nature of the work makes it necessary. Arbeidstilsynet mentions production and services needed by society or the public; the business must assess its own need. Work on festival days and public holidays also counts as Sunday work under working-time rules.
The employer must discuss the need with employee representatives before starting Sunday work. In a business with a collective agreement, the employer and representatives may also make a written agreement on Sunday work for a special, time-limited need. This does not generally allow ordinary office tasks to be scheduled on Sunday simply because that suits the calendar.
As an employee, it helps to distinguish three questions:
| Question | Where is the answer? | What should you check? |
|---|---|---|
| Is Sunday work lawful? | Working Environment Act, the business's need and any collective agreement | Why must the work be done then? |
| Can you be assigned the shift? | Employment contract, work schedule and notice rules | Agreed working hours and when the schedule was given |
| What pay will you receive? | Contract, collective agreement and special rules for 1/17 May | Hourly pay, supplements and any overtime separately |
SamfunnPrep's guide to working hours and overtime explains the usual limits. Here we look at Sunday and public holidays as working days. If the employer changes an already agreed shift, you must also consider the work-schedule rules and what your contract says.
Which hours count as Sunday work?
Under the Working Environment Act, the general rest period runs from 18:00 on the day before a Sunday or holiday until 22:00 on the day before the next working day. Work within that period counts as Sunday or holiday work. On Christmas Eve, Easter Eve and Pentecost Eve, the relevant rest period starts at 15:00. In legal terms, Sunday work may therefore begin on Saturday evening.
The time rule tells you when work falls under the restriction. It does not automatically set a specific extra amount per hour. A collective agreement may define supplement hours or rates differently, so read both the working-time rule and the pay rule. The overview of Norwegian public holidays helps you identify the relevant dates.
Arbeidstilsynet says employees should, as a rule, have every other Sunday off. A written agreement may permit up to three consecutive Sundays, but over 26 weeks you must still have every other Sunday off on average. Daily and weekly rest requirements also apply. Ask to see the complete rota if shifts seem too close together; one Sunday in isolation does not show whether rest rules are met.
Do you automatically receive extra pay on Sunday?
No, there is no general statutory Sunday supplement for every employee. Pay and any supplements for evening, night, Sunday and holiday work are set in the employment contract, a workplace agreement or a collective agreement. Some sectors may have their own binding minimum requirements. Ask the employer to identify the document and rate that apply to you.
A simple example shows the difference. Your hourly wage is 250 kroner and you work six hours on an ordinary Sunday. Without an agreed Sunday supplement, ordinary hourly pay gives 1 500 kroner for the shift. If the agreement provides 60 kroner extra per hour, the Sunday supplement is 360 kroner and the total is 1 860 kroner. These numbers are examples only; they do not state what your workplace must pay.
Also check whether the shift is overtime. Overtime has separate conditions and a statutory minimum supplement. Sunday and overtime supplements are different items, and the agreement determines how they interact. Your payslip should let you identify basic pay, hours worked and the relevant supplements. Ask for an itemised explanation if you do not understand the calculation.
What is special about 1 and 17 May?
1 and 17 May are public celebration days with their own pay law. Arbeidstilsynet says that if you work on either day, you are entitled to ordinary pay plus a supplement. The supplement is the amount you are entitled to for Sundays under an agreement or pay regulations. If neither determines the supplement, the statutory minimum is 50 percent of ordinary pay.
At 250 kroner per hour for a six-hour shift, the statutory fallback calculation at a 50 percent supplement is: 1 500 kroner in ordinary pay + 750 kroner in supplement = 2 250 kroner. Do not apply this rate automatically if your contract or collective agreement sets another arrangement. First check which rule applies to your employment.
If you do not work that day, a different rule applies: Full pay for 1 or 17 May may be due if it would otherwise have been a working day and your employment meets the Act's 30-day condition. The answer differs if the day falls on one when the business would be closed anyway and you were not scheduled to work. Arbeidstilsynet explains this separately. Other public holidays are not automatically covered by the law for 1 and 17 May; check your contract and collective agreement.
How do you check a particular shift?
Compare the rota, contract and payslip in that order. You can then ask one precise question at a time instead of discussing “holiday supplements” without knowing whether the issue is working time, hourly pay or overtime.
- Find the shift date and times. Mark whether it falls within the legal Sunday period.
- Find your contract and any collective agreement. Search for “Sunday”, “public holiday”, “unsocial hours” and “overtime”.
- Check whether the shift was on the work schedule or was changed later. Note when you were informed.
- Compare scheduled and worked hours with the payslip. Request correction if something is missing.
- Ask a workplace representative, union or Arbeidstilsynet about the legal rules if you remain unsure.
Example: Maria works an ordinary Sunday shift in healthcare. She knows that her workplace may need weekend services, but that does not set her rate. She finds the Sunday rate in the collective agreement and checks that it appears on her payslip. When she later works on 1 May, she separately checks that the special rule for that day was applied. She does not mix the two calculations.
SamfunnPrep has tools for everyday practical tasks, but cannot calculate your particular collective agreement. Bring your contract and payslip when asking the employer or a workplace representative for a specific explanation. A short question might be: “Which provision sets the rate on [date], and how were the hours recorded?”
Sources checked on 2 October 2026: Arbeidstilsynet on Sunday work, working hours and pay; sections 10-8 and 10-10 of the Working Environment Act; the law and regulations on pay for 1 and 17 May.
