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Before the summer, a number of changes were adopted in the area of labour law. The amendments include a strengthening of the Labour Inspection Authority's tools, clarification of the content of the requirement for the psychosocial working environment, as well as the abolition of the right to set internal company age limits. In this article, we give you a brief update on the main points of the new legislative changes.
Strengthening the Labour Inspectorate's tools
From 1 July 2025, amendments to Chapter 18 of the Working Environment Act came into force. The amendments give the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority more and stronger tools in its work to combat workplace crime, and are intended to target rogue and criminal actors.
The new rules allow the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority to secure evidence during inspections, impose infringement fines on natural persons acting on behalf of the company, obtain information from third parties, impose infringement fines of up to 25 G, and apply sanctions if the Labour Inspection Authority is denied access. Furthermore, the authority's power to issue orders is expanded and the Labour Inspection Authority is given the right to react immediately in the event of clearly identifiable violations of the law.
The purpose is to ensure more effective enforcement of the regulations and strengthen the protection of employees.
Clarification of the content of the requirement for the psychosocial working environment
Amendments have been made to section 4-3 of the Working Environment Act, which includes requirements for the psychosocial working environment. The amendments clarify that the requirement for a fully acceptable working environment also includes the psychosocial working environment. The amendment means that an overview of examples of various psychosocial factors that can affect the working environment is included in the legal text.
The purpose is to provide employers with clearer guidance and raise awareness of what companies should do to create a good psychosocial working environment. The amendment does not entail any substantive change to current law, but is intended to clarify the requirements that apply.
Discontinuation of the right to set company-internal age limits
The general right to set separate age limits below the age of 72 will be discontinued. This means that employers can no longer have internal rules on compulsory retirement at a certain age, unless this follows from law or collective agreement. It will still be possible to have a lower age limit if this is objectively justified by health and safety considerations. However, the exception must be practised strictly.
The amendment is intended to strengthen the right of older employees to work longer and counteract age discrimination.
Entry into force
The legislative amendment relating to the Labour Inspection Authority's instruments came into force on 1 July 2025. The remaining amendments will come into force from 1 January 2026.
