Welfare Leave & Unpaid Leave
For employees in Norway
For employees in Norway
You are entitled to unpaid leave of absence for a period up to 2 years (24 months), if the military service is voluntary. Eg:
Civilian national Service
International peace-keeping operating
You are entitled to one day of paid leave for attendance at a military session.
Remember to:
Notify your leader as soon as possible after entering a binding agreement concerning service in such forces.
Consider whether you would like to return to Oda after completing your service.
If you decide that you want to return to Oda: inform your leader as soon as you know when you can return - No later than one month before your return.
All employees who are called out to non-voluntary military service in Norway (e.g. Home Guard Service or the civil defence) will be given leave with pay. Use VELF - Annen velf.perm (oppgi årsak) in Quniyx.
Oda or the employee will apply for reimbursement. Employees who are called out to such a service therefore need to notify their manager and payroll: payroll@oda.com
If you’ve been working at Oda for at least two years, you have the right to take full or partial unpaid leave for up to three years to attend educational courses related to your work. If you wish to make use of this right, you must notify your leader in writing and put norway-people@oda.com on copy. The notification should include details about the course content, its duration, and any relevant admission information from the educational institution.
If you have religious holidays that do not coincide with public holidays in Norway, you have the right to take time off for up to two chosen days per year to celebrate the holidays of your religion. The time off is unpaid.
1 day per child per calendar year in connection with your child starting in a new kindergarten
1 day in connection with your child's first day of school (in first grade)
2 days unpaid leave per calendar year in connection with start up days or planning days in kindergarten, AKS/SFO and primary school
When kindergarten/AKS/SFO is closed and in connection with school holiday for the children
Remember to inform your leader as soon as possible about this.
You are entitled to unpaid leave of absence in order to fulfill legal obligations regarding attendance in public bodies. In some situations the Norwegian Domstol can contribute for the lose of salary on the day of your attendance in public bodies. Read more about the reimbursement here 👈
You are entitled to paid leave for up to 3 days in connection with the loss of close relatives (parents, spouse, siblings and children).
If losing grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins, you are entitled to 1 day of paid leave.
For the loss of a colleague in your team, you are entitled to 1 day of paid leave.
When your connection goes beyond this, you are entitled to 1 day unpaid leave. Remember to inform your nearest leader about this.
1 day in connection with moving (max once per year)
1 day at your own children's "konfirmasjon"
Up to 2 hours in connection with a dentist, doctor, physiotherapist and chiropractor appointment, blood donation or at a doctor's visit in connection with the occupational health service. This only applies when it’s not possible to schedule an appointment outside of working hours. If you need more time than 2 hours, you have to apply for unpaid leave in Quinyx or get a doctor's notice for that day.
Up to 2 hours in connection with leave when parents are summoned to a parent-teacher conference in elementary school, and it cannot be scheduled outside working hours:
For exams related to education relevant to the job, paid leave is granted for the time the exam overlaps with work hours
Permit for union work
The employer pays union work in advance. This includes situations where union representatives are given paid time off to participate in local union activities (e.g., meetings, union training, and courses within their own organization) as well as courses and conferences organized by the union outside the company. People Partner must approve this, and the request must be submitted at least 14 days before the course takes place.
NB! Union representatives must submit the reimbursement form to payroll@oda.com before the leave takes place, so that the employer can receive a refund from the unions.
Gone home sick, read more about it here!
As a general rule, in Oda we do not approve unpaid leave. If you need time off, you should use vacation, flex time, or other relevant leave first. In some cases, unpaid leave can be considered, but there must be a valid and documented reason, it must not be possible to use vacation or flex time instead, and the leave must not affect work or the workplace negatively.
All requests are reviewed individually, and there is no automatic right to unpaid leave. A request for unpaid leave must be submitted to your leader well in advance of the planned leave.
Please note that unpaid leave longer than 14 days is seen as a break in your employment. This means you lose your right to sick pay. After such leave, you must work for four weeks before you earn full sick pay rights from your employer again.
1 day at your own wedding
1 day in connection with baptism
In special cases in connection with divorce/child distribution cases
As a general rule, no leave is granted beyond this except in special cases. Such cases, as well as applications for welfare permits, are addressed to the nearest leader. Examples where consultation is necessary:
Leave due to acute illness at home
Leave in connection with childbirth at home or admission to hospital
Misuse of welfare leaves is not acceptable. If there is a suspicion of misuse, the employer can require documentation from the employee to confirm that the conditions for welfare leave were/are met. Such documentation may include medical certificates, attestations, or other relevant documents that can verify that the conditions for welfare leave are fulfilled.
We encourage all employees to use the welfare leave honestly and responsibly and to cooperate with management to ensure that leave is only used in accordance with applicable routines and rules.