If your working hours vary and cannot be fixed in your employment contract, you are normally entitled to a written work schedule. It must be ready and discussed with employee representatives at least 14 days before it starts. Changes must generally also be announced at least 14 days in advance.
First, identify which agreement you have
The rules are easier to apply when you distinguish between three situations:
| Your situation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Permanent or part-time employee with varying shifts | Find the work schedule, the date it was made available, and your agreed position percentage. |
| On-call substitute without a scheduled plan | Individual shifts offered to you are not automatically subject to the rule requiring a plan 14 days in advance. Check what you actually accepted. |
| On-call substitute included in a schedule | When the employer also makes a work schedule for you, the rules about access to and changes in the schedule apply. |
Arbeidstilsynet uses the terms work schedule, shift list, shift plan, and rota for the same type of overview. It must show when you are expected to work and when you are off. A manager sending shifts in a chat does not make the schedule less important: save the message with its date, time, and any later changes. See on-call substitutes and shifts if you are only offered individual shifts.
The main rule: 14 days in advance
A work schedule must be easily accessible and discussed with employee representatives at least 14 days before it takes effect. When the employer wants to change the schedule, the change must normally be discussed and announced at least 14 days before it applies. A collective agreement may have different rules, so check whether your workplace has one. Employment contracts made from 1 July 2024 must also describe the procedure for shift changes.
Example: You have a 70 percent position and receive the November shift schedule on 30 October. Your first shift is on 2 November. That leaves only three days between the notice and the first shift. Ask the employer to explain why the schedule came so late, which rule or collective agreement they are relying on, and how your agreed hours will be secured. A late schedule does not automatically mean that you are entitled to a specific amount of compensation.
Notice the difference between receiving the schedule late and having an already known shift moved. Both may raise questions about notice rules, but pay or supplements must be assessed against the employment contract, any collective agreement, and the specific shift agreement.
When can notice be shorter?
Arbeidstilsynet describes some exceptions. You and the employer may agree to shifts with less than 14 days’ notice; normally, you are not required to say yes. A collective agreement may set a shorter deadline. In unforeseen situations requiring work to prevent danger or damage to life or property, the employer may require work at short notice. A specific, time-limited need may also justify lawful overtime at short notice.
These exceptions are not a general right to change the schedule whenever work is busy. Ask which situation the employer is relying on and request a written explanation. If it is overtime, working-time and payment rules also apply. Working hours and overtime explains these questions separately.
Another example: On Friday, your manager asks if you can voluntarily take an extra shift on Sunday. You may say yes even though the notice is short. If you say no, and no collective agreement or lawful exception allows the employer to require the work, the question should not be treated as if you failed to show up for an already agreed shift. Get the new shift and its pay confirmed before you work.
Cancelled shift: are you entitled to pay?
Arbeidstilsynet’s starting point is that an agreement to work is binding: you are entitled to the amount of work and pay agreed with your employer. An on-call substitute who accepted a specific shift may therefore be entitled to payment even if the shift is cancelled. However, the contract may contain lawful cancellation conditions, and details may affect the result.
You do not automatically receive an inconvenient-hours supplement just because the employer changes the schedule. Such a supplement must be provided for in the employment contract or collective agreement. In some cases, the employer may move the hours to a later time if you receive at least 14 days’ notice. Find your agreement and ask specifically: “Am I losing hours, or are they being moved? Where are the rules on pay and supplements?”
Use a simple log if you have many changes: put the original shift, date you were notified, new shift, and agreed hours in separate columns. This helps you see whether your position percentage and pay were actually affected. It also helps your employee representative understand the issue without searching through many messages.
How to raise the issue and keep track
- Keep the original work schedule and the new version with their dates.
- Mark shifts that were changed, cancelled, or added, and count how many days’ notice you received.
- Read your employment contract and any collective agreement provisions on changes and supplements.
- Ask your manager in writing what applies to your pay, agreed hours, and new schedule.
- Bring in an employee representative or trade union if you cannot agree.
A short message could say: “Hello. The schedule sent on [date] showed a shift on [date/time]. It was changed on [date]. Could you confirm why, what happens to the agreed hours, and how the pay is calculated? Please send me the updated schedule in writing.”
Arbeidstilsynet can advise on the work-schedule requirements, but it normally does not decide a private pay dispute. See also your employment contract before you sign for what it should say about working hours. SamfunnPrep collects information about working in Norway, but first discuss an urgent shift change with your employer.
Sources checked 2 October 2026: Arbeidstilsynet guidance on work schedules, employment contracts, and working hours.
