Information to staff with a sick child or childminder.

NOTE: To unlock the "sick child" absence quota in the Self-service portal, your children must be registered in your profile. Children registered in the HR-Portal were not transferred to the new system, and must be added again. In the "valid from" section, choose January 1st 2023.

Profiles are updated overnight, so the "sick child" quota will not be visible until the next day.

Guide: User profile (dfo.no)

Norsk versjon - Sykt barn

Theme page about illness | Pages tagged with illness

Sick child or childminder

If your child or the person who looks after your child is ill, you can take paid leave up to and including the calendar year that your child turns 12. You must notify your manager as soon as possible, and your absence must be recorded in the Self-service portal.

Guide: Requests for absence (dfo.no)

A condition for taking leave is that you need to be away from work so that you can take care of your child. For the first three days of the illness episode, you can send self-certification of absence ("egenmelding") for a sick child or childminder. From the fourth day of absence, a medical certificate that documents the child’s illness is required.

If you are a new employee, you can receive paid leave if you are absent because your child or the person who looks after your child is ill. You must have then have started in the position, and in the first four weeks that you are employed in the position, you must submit a medical certificate from the first day of absence.

A kindergarten strike is not a reason for absence that is regulated in accordance with applicable rules and agreements. In order to receive care benefits pursuant to section 9-5 of the National Insurance Act, there must be illness in children or childcare providers as a basis for care benefits. Strikes are not illness, and on this basis will not entitle you to care benefits when the kindergarten closes.

Number of care benefit days

1 child: 10 days per year

2 children: 12 days per year

3 children or more: 15 days per year

If you are a single parent caring for your child on your own, the number of care benefit days is doubled. Please notify the Service Center via the form "Endre fraværskvote" in NTNU Hjelp after you have registered your child in the Self-service portal.

More about care benefit days at nav.no (in Norwegian).

Chronic illness - Extended right to care benefit days

If you have children with disabilities or with chronic illness, you may be entitled to an extra 10 days of care benefits for each of these children. You must then submit the decision from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization (NAV) to document this right. Send the decision from NAV to the Service Center via the form "Endre fraværskvote" in NTNU Hjelp after you have registered your child in the Self-service portal.

DO NOT send any sensitive information about your children. Send ONLY proof that NAV has made a decision.

Earning time and requirements for documentation

If you are a new employee and have started the job, you are still entitled to receive pay during absence due to illness in a child or babysitter. In that case, however, you must submit a doctor’s certificate from the first day of the first four weeks of the employment relationship.

If you have had a breach of employment for more than 14 days due to leave of absence, the same rules apply: for the first four weeks after you resume work, you must submit a doctor’s certificate from the first day.

Sick child or childminder for part of the day

In principle, you take a day of care benefits as a whole day. But it may be possible to divide the day between work and care of a child if your job allows this and your employer has approved it. When a total of one whole care day has been used, the full day must be registered in the Self-service portal.

Training allowance

If you care for a child with a long-term illness or a disability, you may be entitled to a training allowance ("opplæringspenger"). You will then be entitled to absence from work for training at an approved health institution that is necessary for you to take care of your child. The training must last for a whole working day during a week.

You can apply for a training allowance from NAV.

References and legislation

• Hovedtariffavtalen (the Basic Collectice Agreement) §20 (in Norwegian)
• Working Environment Act Section 12-9 (in Norwegian).
  • English version is available from the Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet)
• Folketrygdloven (the National Insurance Act) Section 9-6 (in Norwegian)

Contact information

Do you have questions or need help? Contact the Service center