Managing employee leave entitlements in Svalbard and Jan Mayen requires a clear understanding of the local labor regulations. While these territories have unique characteristics, their labor laws often mirror those of mainland Norway, providing a robust framework for employee rights concerning time off. Employers operating in these regions must ensure compliance with these standards to maintain fair and legal employment practices.
Understanding the various types of leave available to employees, from mandatory annual vacation to provisions for illness, family responsibilities, and other personal circumstances, is crucial for effective workforce management. This includes knowing the minimum entitlements, procedures for requesting leave, and compensation rules associated with different leave types.
Annual Vacation Leave
Employees in Svalbard and Jan Mayen are entitled to mandatory annual vacation leave. The minimum entitlement is 25 working days per year. Working days include all calendar days except Sundays and public holidays. Employees are also entitled to vacation pay, which is calculated as a percentage of their earnings from the previous year.
- Minimum Entitlement: 25 working days per year.
- Calculation: Vacation pay is typically 10.2% of the employee's gross salary earned during the previous calendar year. For employees over 60 years old, an additional week of vacation is granted, and the vacation pay rate increases to 12.5%.
- Timing: Employees have the right to take three weeks of their main vacation consecutively during the main vacation period (typically June 1 to September 30). The employer must discuss the timing of vacation with the employee and provide reasonable notice of the decided vacation period.
- Transfer: Up to 12 working days of vacation can be transferred to the following year by written agreement. Additional vacation days beyond the statutory minimum can also be transferred or paid out according to agreement.
- Illness during Vacation: If an employee becomes ill during their vacation, they may be entitled to postpone the vacation days affected by the illness, provided they present a medical certificate.
Public Holidays and Observances 2025
Employees are generally entitled to time off on public holidays. If a public holiday falls on a weekday, it is typically a paid day off. Work performed on public holidays usually attracts special compensation rates.
Here are the public holidays observed in 2025:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| April 17 | Maundy Thursday |
| April 18 | Good Friday |
| April 20 | Easter Sunday |
| April 21 | Easter Monday |
| May 1 | Labour Day |
| May 8 | Liberation Day |
| May 17 | Constitution Day |
| May 29 | Ascension Day |
| June 8 | Whit Sunday |
| June 9 | Whit Monday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | St. Stephen's Day |
Note that some holidays, like Easter and Whit Sunday/Monday, have variable dates each year.
Sick Leave Policies and Pay
Employees are entitled to sick leave if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. The system provides for continued payment during periods of certified illness.
- Self-Certification: Employees can self-certify absence due to illness for up to three consecutive calendar days, up to four times within a 12-month period.
- Medical Certificate: For absences exceeding three days, or after exhausting self-certification days, a medical certificate from a doctor is required.
- Employer's Responsibility: The employer is responsible for paying sick pay for the first 16 calendar days of an illness period (the employer period).
- NAV Responsibility: From the 17th day onwards, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) takes over the responsibility for paying sickness benefits.
- Sick Pay Rate: During the employer period, sick pay is equivalent to 100% of the employee's normal salary. NAV's sickness benefit is also generally 100% of the basis for calculation, up to a certain annual income limit.
- Duration: Sickness benefit from NAV can be paid for up to 260 working days (one year) within a three-year period.
Parental Leave Entitlements
Parental leave provisions allow employees to take time off in connection with the birth or adoption of a child. This includes maternity leave, paternity leave, and shared parental leave.
- Total Period: The total period for parental benefits is either 49 weeks at 100% pay or 59 weeks at 80% pay.
- Maternity Quota: The mother has a dedicated quota of 15 weeks (at 100% pay) or 19 weeks (at 80% pay). Three weeks before the due date are reserved for the mother and must be taken.
- Paternity Quota: The father/co-mother has a dedicated quota of 15 weeks (at 100% pay) or 19 weeks (at 80% pay).
- Shared Period: The remaining weeks constitute the shared period, which the parents can divide between themselves as they choose.
- Concurrent Leave: Parents can take up to 12 weeks of parental benefit concurrently (double parental benefit) during the shared period.
- Adoption Leave: Similar rules apply to adoption, with entitlements starting from the date the child is taken into care.
- Parental Benefit Basis: Parental benefit is calculated based on the parent's income.
Other Types of Leave
Beyond the main categories, employees may be entitled to other forms of leave for specific circumstances.
- Care for Sick Child: Employees have the right to leave to care for a sick child under 12 years old (or under 16 if the child has a chronic illness or disability). The entitlement is typically 10 days per year per parent (15 days for single parents), increasing with the number of children.
- Care for Sick Close Relative: Leave may be granted to care for a sick parent, spouse, or other close relative in the final phase of life.
- Bereavement Leave: While not explicitly mandated by law, it is common practice and often covered by collective agreements or company policy to grant paid leave in the event of a close family member's death.
- Study Leave: Employees with at least three years of employment and two years with the current employer may be entitled to unpaid leave for organized education, up to three years.
- Sabbatical Leave: Sabbatical leave is not a statutory right but may be offered by employers or included in collective agreements.
