On this page you will find information about work hours for employees at NTNU.

Norsk versjon - Arbeidstid

Register working hours | Topic page about new at NTNU | Pages labelled with working hours | Working conditions for employees

Working hours during summer and winter

NTNU practice summer and winter time for all employees who follow the working time regulations of the main tariff agreement. The shorter working time during summer compensates for the corresponding extension for the rest of the year, so that the working time per week, calculated on average throughout the year, will not be shorter than before.

The period for summer- and winter time has been changed starting from the summer of 2024:

Summer time work hours: May 15th to September 14th, from 08:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Winter time work hours: September 15th to May 14th, from 08:00 am to 3:45 pm.

Work hours during public holidays

Time off

As long as the workload allows it, employees at NTNU have time off work on the following days:

• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
• Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Eve, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday
• Ascension Day (6th Thursday after Maundy Thursday)
• Whit Sunday and Whit Monday (7th Sunday after Easter Sunday)
• May 1
• May 17
• Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Second Christmas Day/Boxing Day

Reduced working hours Easter and Christmas

• Wednesday, day before Maundy Thursday, work hours are 8 am - 12 pm (08.00–12.00). Note that on these days you will not be credited with plus time for hours after 12 p.m. According to theGo to Master Collective Agreements for more information (in Norwegian).
• Workdays in the Boxing Week, work hours are 9 am - 3 am (09.00-15.00). Note that on these days you will not be credited with plus time for the time at 8-9 a.m. and the time 3-3.45 p.m. The reason is that you have already been paid for these hours and thus cannot receive additional time.

Register work hours

Go to page Registration of working hours.

Flexible work hours and time off

Go to page Flexible work hours.

Core hours

Go to page Flexible work hours.

Overtime

Go to page Overtime.

Using your flexible hours, overtime and travel time

Flexible hours, overtime and time spent travelling are calculated in three different ways.

• Flexible hours can be accumulated as extra work hours and can be used to take time off from work. You are responsible for registering your extra work hours and can take time off this way for a maximum of 24 full working days or 180 hours per year.
• Accumulated overtime can, after agreement with your supervisor, be divided into smaller periods of time off work. You are responsible for registering your extra work hours.
• Accumulated time spent travelling can also be used as extra time off work. You are responsible for registering your extra work hours.

These are three separate accounts for extra working hours; the three do not influence each other. This means that you can withdraw 24 days of accumulated flexible hours, in addition to accumulated overtime and accumulated travel time.

Lunch and breaks

Most employees at NTNU have a 20 minute lunch break included in their work hours. If your work day is longer than 5,5 hours, you have the right to at least one break during the day.

If your work day is longer than 8 hours, you have at least 30 minutes of time for breaks.

If you are prevented from leaving your workstation during your break, the break is counted as part of your work hours. The same applies if you, during your break, have no access to a proper lunch room/common room.

If you are instructed to work more than two hours of overtime after regular work hours, you are entitled to a 30 minute break before the two hours start. This break also counts as part of your work hours. The break can be cut short or moved, if necessary.

Breaks are treated in:

• The Public Sector Employee Handbook, 3.1.3 (in Norwegian)
• The Working Environment Act § 10-9

Leadership and independent positions

Some NTNU employees have positions that are exempt from regulations governing working hours, such as for the number of maximum number of work hours allowed per week. This is regulated by Basic Collective Agreement for the Civil Service and The Working Environment Act §10-2.

See also memorandum "Requirements for sufficient documentation and verification of overtime" (Krav til tilfredsstillende dokumentasjon og kontroll av overtid, pdf, in Norwegian)

Reduced working hours

You have the right to reduced working hours when you reach the age of 62, or when health-related, social or other weighty welfare reasons apply. It is essential that the reduction in working hours can be carried out without special inconvenience to the business. You have a duty to inform the employer and return to full-time working hours when the conditions that were the basis for the reduction cease to exist.

If reduced working hours shall be granted for welfare reasons, this must me documented.

The right to reduced working hours also counts if you are employed in a senior or particularly independent position.

When applying for reduced working hours, it is important to clarify whether this applies for a specific period or as a permanent scheme.

Reduced working hours is regulated in the Working Environment Act §10.2.

Work hours and travel time

Domestic travels

Travel time is the time you spend travelling from your workplace/home to your destination. Waiting periods during the journey is included. If you have several destinations to reach, the time you spend travelling between these is also counted as travel time. Time spent at hotels and similar establishments does not count as travel time.

If you are travelling during regular work hours, this is counted as work hours. If you are instructed to travel outside of regular work hours on weekdays you can register these hours and later take time off from work corresponding to the hours spent travelling.

International travels

Business travels abroad are governed by specific regulations for compensation for work hours and travel time:

• Chapter 9.3 in the Special Agreement concerning travels abroad financed by the Norwegian State (Særavtale for reiser utenlands for statens regning; in Norwegian)

Legislation

• Master Collective Agreements (Hovedtariffavtalene) (in Norwegian)
• Norwegian government personnel handbook, section on working hours (in Norwegian)

Contact

Overview of Human Resources personnel (in Norwegian) or The Service center