Reduced working hours may be a right if you have young children, special caring responsibilities, a health-related need or have turned 62. The arrangement means fewer hours and lower pay. You apply to your employer, who may refuse if the reduction would cause a significant disadvantage to the business.
Who may have the right to reduced working hours?
You may have this right when the need is due to health, social circumstances or other important welfare reasons. If you have turned 62, you do not also have to justify the need on one of those grounds.
The right is set out in section 10-2, fourth paragraph, of the Working Environment Act. Arbeidstilsynet, Norway’s labour inspection authority, explains the conditions. The table is based on its guidance on reduced working hours, checked on 3 October 2026.
| Ground | What may be relevant? | What should you clarify? |
|---|---|---|
| Health | Your own illness or generally impaired health | Documentation, such as a doctor’s certificate |
| Social circumstances | Unusually demanding caring responsibilities, for example for a parent who needs care | Your need and how fewer hours would help |
| Important welfare reasons | Young children or problems with childcare | The arrangement you want and its duration |
| Age | You have turned 62 | How much you want to reduce your hours |
Parents of children under ten and single parents are considered to have an important reason. This does not mean that every requested work schedule must automatically be accepted. The employer may still assess whether it would cause a significant disadvantage.
The health ground is not intended to replace sick leave when sick leave can address the need. A long commute, sport or other leisure activities are not, by themselves, important welfare reasons either.
SamfunnPrep has a broader overview of employee rights. This guide concerns the right to a temporary reduction in working hours.
Is this the same as changing your job to part time?
No. Under this arrangement, you work fewer hours for an agreed period, while your position itself remains unchanged. It is important to distinguish this from making a new, permanent agreement to reduce your position percentage.
Tvisteløsningsnemnda (the Dispute Resolution Board) explains the distinction in its guidance on reduced working hours, checked on 3 October 2026.
If you normally work full time and need a period with fewer hours, ask for this to be stated clearly. The agreement should show your original position percentage, how much you will work during the period and when it ends.
Do not sign a permanent reduction without understanding what it means. If you already work part time and want more hours, that is a different issue. SamfunnPrep explains priority rights to an expanded position in a separate guide.
Will you get less pay when you work less?
Yes. Reduced working hours under this arrangement mean a corresponding reduction in pay, with no statutory wage compensation. The right to fewer hours is not a benefit from Nav.
Nav, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, has separate rules for its benefits. Any possible right to another scheme must be checked separately. Do not include support you have not yet been awarded in your budget as guaranteed income.
Calculation example: If your regular gross full-time salary is NOK 40,000 a month, 80 per cent corresponds to NOK 32,000. The difference is NOK 8,000 before tax. This is a simple example, not a calculation of your salary or tax. Discuss supplements, shifts and other terms with your employer.
Ask for a written pay calculation before the arrangement starts. Compare it with your regular expenses and planned duration. The payslip guide explains the difference between gross pay, tax and the amount you receive.
How can your working hours be reduced?
The reduction may take the form of shorter days, fewer working days or periods off during the year. Describe which format would actually meet your need.
If you need to pick up a child every afternoon, shorter days may be relevant. If your caring duties fall on particular days, fewer working days may fit better. These are planning suggestions, not a guarantee of a particular shift pattern.
Consider making one main proposal and one alternative. State both the number of hours and the times. “I want to work 80 per cent” says little about which days the employer would need to plan differently.
Fewer hours is also different from moving your hours without reducing them. Clarify whether your need concerns the total hours, their timing or both. This makes your application easier to understand.
How do you apply to your employer?
Apply a reasonable time before you want the arrangement to start. Explain the ground, how it would work and how long the reduction would last.
Arbeidstilsynet recommends a written agreement. A written application also makes it easier to document what you requested. Gather these details:
- Your current position percentage and usual working hours.
- The reason for the need and relevant documentation.
- The hours or percentage you want to work during the period.
- The days and times you would like to work.
- The start date, end date and, if relevant, an alternative.
You can adapt this message:
I am applying for a temporary reduction in working hours under section 10-2, fourth paragraph, of the Working Environment Act. My usual position percentage is [percentage]. I would like to work [percentage/hours] from [date] to [date] because of [need]. I propose the following arrangement: [days and times]. Please reply in writing and provide an agreement showing my original position percentage and the period.
This is a practical template. The guidance does not set a general national application deadline in a specific number of days. Plan early enough for your employer to assess the arrangement.
When can your employer refuse?
Your employer may refuse if the reduction would cause a significant disadvantage to the business. According to Tvisteløsningsnemnda, the usual inconvenience of finding a substitute or redistributing tasks is not enough by itself.
The assessment must be specific to your situation. Ask which parts of your proposal cause the problem. This can help you consider a different pattern or get help with the refusal.
You can discuss possible solutions with your manager or union representative. However, continuing the discussion does not automatically change the deadline for submitting a dispute to the tribunal.
What should you do after a refusal, and when do you return?
After a written refusal, the deadline for bringing a case before the tribunal is four weeks from the first refusal you received. The deadline is not postponed because you ask for reasons or complain to your employer again.
This is stated in the tribunal’s information about the deadline, checked on 3 October 2026. Keep your application, the refusal and relevant documentation. Get help quickly if you are unsure of the date.
When the agreed period ends, you have the right and duty to return to your original position percentage. If the need ends earlier, you will normally have a duty to return earlier. Agree on the practical arrangements with your employer.
SamfunnPrep’s practical tools can help with other everyday tasks. Keep a separate record of dates, income and agreements when planning your period with fewer working hours.
