A final pay settlement is the last accounting between you and your employer. Check unpaid wages, supplements, holiday pay and deductions. Under the Holiday Act, accrued holiday pay should generally be paid on your last ordinary payday before you leave. Ask for a detailed payslip.
What should a final pay settlement show?
The settlement should let you see each item separately. You can then compare it with your contract, timesheets and earlier payslips. Do not look only at the amount received in your account: that is net pay after tax and any other deductions. Start with gross wages and holiday pay. SamfunnPrep's payslip guide explains the difference.
| Item | Check against |
|---|---|
| Ordinary wages until the final working day | Employment contract, work schedule and timesheets |
| Overtime and agreed supplements | Recorded hours, rate and collective agreement |
| Accrued holiday pay | Holiday pay basis, rate and earlier payments |
| Reversal of a holiday deduction | Payslip from the holiday pay month and holiday actually taken |
| Tax and other deductions | Tax card and the basis for each deduction |
If commission or a bonus is payment for your personal work, it may also form part of the holiday pay basis. Arbeidstilsynet points out that pure expense reimbursements, such as travel and lodging, do not form part of it. Ask payroll if you cannot see how the basis was calculated.
When must holiday pay be paid when you leave?
Section 11, third paragraph, of the Holiday Act says all accrued holiday pay must be paid on the last ordinary payday before you leave. Amounts that cannot be calculated by then may be paid with the final wage settlement. A collective agreement may set its own payment timing. Ask the employer to identify that agreement if they give a different date.
Holiday pay earned this year may therefore be paid when you leave, even if you would otherwise have received it in the next holiday year. Holiday pay from last year that remains unpaid must also be included. Check whether any amount was already paid in June so that you do not count it twice. This differs from holiday and holiday pay rules while you are still employed.
The statutory minimum rate is 10.2 percent of the holiday pay basis, according to Arbeidstilsynet as of 2 October 2026. A collective agreement providing five weeks of holiday normally gives 12 percent. Higher minimum rates apply to workers over 60. Use the rate that actually applies under your contract and collective agreement. A 10.2 percent example is not the right answer for everyone.
What if you already had wages deducted for holiday?
If the employer uses a fixed month for holiday pay, such as June, that month's payslip may show both holiday pay and a deduction from ordinary wages for planned holiday days. If you leave before taking all those days, check that wages previously deducted for holiday not taken are returned. Arbeidstilsynet highlights this as a separate item to check.
This is a common source of error in a final settlement. Some people expect an extra “bonus” for unused holiday days. In practice you need to distinguish accrued holiday pay from wages withheld in an earlier month. You should not be paid twice for the same day, but you should not lose wages because planned holiday never happened.
Ask for an overview of planned holiday days, days actually taken and earlier holiday deductions. If you were sick or on leave, the holiday account may be different. Ask for an itemised calculation in that case. Arbeidstilsynet says a personnel manager or workplace representative should be able to provide a breakdown you can check.
A simple example before tax
Nadia leaves on 30 September. She has 16 000 kroner in unpaid wages and 2 000 kroner in agreed supplements. Her total holiday pay basis with the employer for the year is 200 000 kroner, and it includes those final 18 000 kroner. Her rate is 10.2 percent. Last year's holiday pay was already paid in June. Also in June, 5 000 kroner was deducted for holiday she later did not take.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid wages | 16 000 kr | |
| Agreed supplements | 2 000 kr | |
| Holiday pay accrued this year | 200 000 × 10.2 % | 20 400 kr |
| Wages returned for untaken holiday | Earlier documented deduction | 5 000 kr |
| Total before tax and lawful deductions | 43 400 kr |
The example shows how to keep the items separate. Nadia must not add another 10.2 percent to the 18 000 kroner: they are already included in the 200 000 kroner basis. The actual amount depends on pay periods, holiday records, the applicable rate and what was paid earlier. Tax withholding may also differ from an ordinary month. Compare gross items first and ask Skatteetaten about tax rules you do not understand.
Which documents make checking easier?
Collect your files before the final working day if you can. It is often easier to retrieve timesheets while you still have access to the employer's system. Save documents privately and securely, not only on your work email or phone.
- Your employment contract and later changes to pay or position.
- Timesheets, work schedules and approved overtime through your final day.
- Payslips from the year and the latest annual pay summary.
- A holiday overview: planned, taken and carried-forward days.
- Bank statements for payments already made.
The Working Environment Act requires the employer to give a written statement when wages are paid or immediately afterwards. It must show how pay was calculated, the holiday pay basis and deductions. If you also need proof of the period you worked and your duties, that is a separate document: an employment certificate. Ask for it separately and check Arbeidstilsynet's rules. SamfunnPrep has a separate guide to this, but you must be able to check the final settlement independently of the certificate.
What if the final settlement is missing or seems wrong?
Ask payroll for an explanation item by item, not just a new total. Point to one line at a time: “The timesheet shows 12 overtime hours, but the payslip shows 8.” Attach a copy and ask for a corrected payslip and any back pay. Your rights as a worker gives background on pay, working time and documents.
Subject: Review of final pay settlement
Hello. I left on [date] and request an itemised overview of my last wages, supplements, holiday pay basis, accrued holiday pay, holiday deductions and tax withholding. I believe [item] is missing or wrong because [brief explanation]. Please see the attached [document]. Could you check the calculation and reply in writing by [date]? Kind regards, [name].
If the employer does not pay what you are entitled to, that is a separate wage dispute. Arbeidstilsynet can explain the rules but normally does not collect ordinary unpaid wages on your behalf. How to claim unpaid wages describes the next steps. If the employer has gone bankrupt, check the conditions and deadlines of NAV's wage guarantee scheme. SamfunnPrep offers tools for everyday life in Norway, but a disputed final settlement must be clarified with the employer or an appropriate adviser.
Sources checked on 2 October 2026: section 11 of the Holiday Act, section 14-15 of the Working Environment Act and Arbeidstilsynet's guidance on holiday pay and missing payment.
