Comply or die

The Norwegian government have now adopted a new approval scheme to ensure that companies use compliant and serious agencies. With the new scheme, agencies must fulfil additional material requirements to be approved.

Today, companies can only use temporary work agencies registered with the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. To be registered, agencies must fulfil certain formal requirements, like registration to the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities. 

From 1 January 2024 until 31 March 2024, companies can only use agencies that are approved or awaiting approval in the new scheme. From 31 March 2024, companies can only use agencies that have been approved. The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority will still manage the new scheme.

Get the stamp of approval

With the new scheme, temporary work agencies must document that they comply with the following existing legal requirements:

• A safety representative when five or more employees are employed at the temporary work agency
• A working environment committee when 30 or more employees are employed at the temporary work agency
• Written employment contracts for all employees that fulfil the minimum requirements for employment contracts
• Routines to ensure that agency workers whom companies use have equal salary- and working conditions to permanent employees
• Occupational injury insurance for all employees
• Registration to the Register of Business Enterprises, the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, the VAT Register and the State Register of Employers and Employees

Agencies will need to confirm to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority that these requirements are fulfilled every year. Every third year the agencies have to document this.

IUNO’s opinion

The new approval scheme is only the latest change for agencies in Norway. Before Christmas, the Norwegian parliament adopted new and stricter rules for using agencies. You can read more about the new rules here.

The new scheme will apply to existing and new agencies. IUNO recommends that companies follow up on the approval status of the agencies they usually use. Companies that use agency workers from non-approved agencies risk that agency workers are entitled to permanent employment with the company.

[Amendments to the Norwegian Regulation on the use of temporary work agencies of 1 April 2023]