Is there a 4-day week in Norway?
No. Norway has no four-day week law or national scheme. The Working Environment Act limits normal working hours to 9 hours per 24 hours and 40 hours per seven days, and does not give workers a general right to a shorter week.
Trials have been small and recent. In a six-month pilot led by Karlstad University, eleven Swedish and Norwegian organisations tested the 100:80:100 model (100% pay for up to 20% less working time); two were Norwegian. Across both countries, average stress scores fell from 3.2 to 2.6 on a five-point scale and self-rated productivity rose from 7.1 to 8.0 on a ten-point scale, and ten of the eleven kept a shorter week. One small Norwegian consultancy did not. There was no control group, and the report says the statistically significant changes were small.
Separately, staff at one kindergarten in Oslo and one in Stavanger worked 80% of their hours on 100% pay compensation for two years, cutting the week from 37.5 to 30 hours. Rambøll's evaluation followed them from autumn 2023 to summer 2025. It found a positive effect on staff work environment and energy, but no robust effect on sick leave or service quality, and higher wage costs because more staff were needed.
That is evidence from a handful of organisations, not a national policy.
Latest developments
Karlstad University and The Rework publish Sweden-Norway pilot results
Eleven organisations (nine Swedish, two Norwegian) tested a shorter week for six months. Average stress scores fell from 3.2 to 2.6 on a five-point scale and perceived productivity rose from 7.1 to 8.0; ten of eleven kept shorter weeks. No control group.
4 Day Week Sverige & Norge (Karlstads universitet and The Rework, February 2026) (opens in new tab)Rambøll publishes final report on kindergarten shorter-hours trial
Rambøll's evaluation of one Oslo and one Stavanger kindergarten found a positive effect on staff work environment and energy, but no robust effect on service quality or sick leave. Wage costs rose.
Rambøll press release via NTB Kommunikasjon (31 October 2025) (opens in new tab)
4-day-week trials in Norway
What each pilot reported. Figures are the organiser's own, from the linked report.
4 Day Week Sverige & Norge pilot (Norwegian part)
Run by Karlstad University, Boston College, 4 Day Week Global, The Rework (4 Day Week Norge), PaceLab
- 2 companies
Eleven organisations in Sweden and Norway (two Norwegian) tested the 100:80:100 model (100% pay for up to 20% less working time) for six months; most began between November 2024 and January 2025. Across both countries stress fell from 3.2 to 2.6 on a five-point scale and perceived productivity rose from 7.1 to 8.0. Ten of eleven continued; one small Norwegian consultancy did not. No control group.
Perceived (self-rated) productivity rose 13% across both countries; work intensity stayed unchanged.
- Mental health: Across both countries the share who never experienced anxiety rose from 46.5% to 64.6% (a share of respondents).
- Sleep: Across both countries: 24 minutes longer sleep a night on average (6.6 to 7.0 hours).
Shorter-hours kindergarten trial in Oslo and Stavanger
Run by Evaluated by Rambøll; one kindergarten in Oslo and one in Stavanger
- 2 companies
One kindergarten in Oslo and one in Stavanger cut staff hours from 37.5 to 30 a week (80% of hours on 100% pay compensation) for two years; Rambøll followed them from autumn 2023 to summer 2025. It found a positive effect on psychosocial work environment and energy, but no robust, lasting effect on service quality or sick leave. Wage costs rose because more staff were employed.
Rambøll press release (via NTB, 31 October 2025): final report on shorter working hours in kindergartens (opens in new tab)Jobs in Norway
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4 day week+1 moreSenior Frontend Developer
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Who offers a 4-day week in Norway
We do not list a company with a 4-day week in Norway yet.
Suggest a companyHow Norway compares
Norway, in rose, against the other countries we cover.
Average weekly hours
4th shortest of 25 countries, 2.7 hours below the median of 37.3.
Netherlands 31.3 to South Africa 42.3
See all 25 countries
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 31.3 |
| Denmark | 33.3 |
| Germany | 34.5 |
| Norway | 34.6 |
| Australia | 35.4 |
| Austria | 35.6 |
| Finland | 35.6 |
| Switzerland | 35.7 |
| Belgium | 36.0 |
| Ireland | 36.0 |
| United Kingdom | 36.3 |
| France | 36.9 |
| Sweden | 37.3 |
| Iceland | 37.4 |
| Japan | 37.5 |
| Spain | 37.5 |
| New Zealand | 37.6 |
| United States | 38.2 |
| Lithuania | 39.0 |
| South Korea | 39.4 |
| Brazil | 39.5 |
| Chile | 39.8 |
| Poland | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 40.0 |
| South Africa | 42.3 |
Usual weekly hours on the main job, all employed people, from the OECD (latest year, 2024 or 2025). It includes part-timers. No comparable figure for: Canada, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
Statutory paid leave
11th longest of 26 countries, 1 day above the median of 20.
United Kingdom 28 to United States None
See all 26 countries
| Country | Days |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Denmark | 25 |
| Finland | 25 |
| France | 25 |
| Sweden | 25 |
| Iceland | 24 |
| Brazil | 22 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 22 |
| Norway | 21 |
| Australia | 20 |
| Belgium | 20 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Ireland | 20 |
| Netherlands | 20 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Switzerland | 20 |
| Chile | 15 |
| South Africa | 15 |
| South Korea | 15 |
| Canada | 10 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Philippines | 5 |
| United States | None |
The legal minimum a year, in working days on a five-day week, before public holidays. Definitions differ: some countries set weeks or calendar days (converted here), the UK lets public holidays count and the United States has no national minimum. Each country page says what its number covers. No comparable figure for: Lithuania, United Arab Emirates.
Working in Norway
Working hours
The average employee works 34.6 hours a week (OECD, 2025), counting part-timers. The Working Environment Act limits normal working hours to 9 per 24 hours and 40 per seven days. Overtime may not exceed 10 hours per seven days, 25 hours per four weeks or 200 hours in 52 weeks, with a supplement of at least 40%. Employees must have at least 11 hours of continuous off-duty time in every 24.
Paid leave and holidays
The Holidays Act gives 25 working days of leave a year, and Saturdays count as working days. That is four weeks and one day, or 21 days on a five-day week. Employees who turn 60 in the year get one extra week (6 working days). Holiday pay is 10.2% of the pay basis; the Labour Inspection Authority says an extra week under a collective agreement usually lifts it to 12%.
Part-time and flexible work
In 2025, 23.4% of employed people aged 15-64 worked part time: 31.9% of women and 15.6% of men (Eurostat).
Remote work
In 2025, 41.8% of employees aged 15-64 worked from home at least sometimes: 4.3% usually and 37.5% sometimes (Eurostat).