New provisions from 1 April 2023
- The opportunity to hire temporary personnel “when the work is of a temporary nature” has been repealed. Some special rules which will apply in certain areas are specified in the next point.
- It will no longer be possible to hire personnel from temporary work agencies for construction sites in Oslo and the Viken and former Vestfold counties. The ban on temporary hires will apply to all trades on such sites, providing they are encompassed by the definition of “construction work” in the regulations.
- The right of a temporary hire to gain permanent employment in the enterprise hiring them will be strengthened by extending this right to temporary hires made under agreements with union officials after a specified time. This right comes into force after three years.
- A new provision in the Working Environment Act specifies and clarifies the legal distinction between temporary hire and contracting.
Two exemptions from the general restriction
- Temporary hire of health personnel to ensure prudent operation of health and care services will be legal when the work is of a temporary nature. Employers must discuss the need for this with union officials.
- Hire of workers with specialist expertise who provide advisory and consultative services. Such hires must relate to a clearly delineated project in the hiring enterprise.
The changes come into force on 1 April, with transitional rules for three months in some fields.
Read more about the new rules for temporary hires (in Norwegian only) at regjeringa.no.