Parental leave

This means that employees can combine receiving parental benefits with part-time work. When the employee does not take full-time leave, the leave period becomes longer. The parental benefits will be smaller and paid out over a longer period. However, the total amount remains the same whether the employee chooses partial leave or regular leave. Partial leave can be agreed upon for a maximum of three years.

Employees entitled to parental benefits generally have the right to partial leave. Partial leave can be shared between both parents.

You must make an agreement on partial leave with your employer.

The agreement should include:

• Degree of leave
• Leave period (from – to)
• Which days/weeks the leave will be taken

The employee must still apply for parental benefits from NAV.

Notify UiA about your partial leave.

Apply for parental benefits (NAV)

In addition to the right to paid leave according to the Main Collective Agreement § 19 no. 1 and 2, parents have the right to take unpaid leave totaling up to 3 years, according to the Main Collective Agreement § 20 no. 7. If this leave period is used up, parents are still entitled to up to one year of unpaid leave in connection with a new parental leave. The free time granted must be used for caring for the child.

Employees do not have the right to take leave on a part-time basis or for a period shorter than six months, unless the nature of the work permits it.

The right to unpaid leave can be taken in connection with parental leave and during the period until the child turns 12 years old.

Unpaid leave counts as service time according to the Public Service Pension Fund Act § 20 and is also regulated in the leave agreement.

Employees are obliged to notify their employer about leave in accordance with the Main Collective Agreement § 19 no. 5 and the Working Environment Act § 12-7. Notification of leave under this provision must be given to the immediate supervisor.

According to the Working Environment Act § 12-3, the father/co-mother has the right to 2 weeks of care leave in connection with the birth. If the parents do not live together, this right to leave can be exercised by another person assisting the mother. This also applies to adoptive parents and foster parents in connection with taking over the care of the child.

*This does not apply in cases of stepparent adoption or if the child is over 15 years old.

Full or proportional salary is paid during the leave period according to the Main Collective Agreement § 11.

You must notify UiA about the taking of care leave via the DFØ app.

DFØ Self-Service Portal

An employee who is pregnant has the right to paid leave from work in connection with prenatal check-ups when such examinations cannot reasonably be conducted outside working hours.

Arbeidsgiver har plikt til å tilrettelegge for gravide arbeidstakere. Gravide som ikke kan fortsette å jobbe under svangerskapet fordi arbeidet kan medføre risiko for skade på det ufødte barnet, kan få svangerskapspenger.

Application for pregnancy benefit (nav.no)

The use of parental benefits is regulated by the National Insurance Act § 14-10.

• At birth, parental benefits can be taken no earlier than twelve weeks before the birth.
• Regardless of whether full or reduced rate is chosen, the mother can take parental benefits no later than three weeks before the birth.
• The father cannot take parental benefits during the first six weeks after the birth, except for the extension of the benefit period granted in the case of multiple births.
• In the case of adoption, parental benefits can be taken no earlier than when the parents assume care of the child.

An employee who is breastfeeding has the right to time off work to nurse their child as long as the child is under one year old. Beyond this, special documentation with a medical certificate is required.

Nursing leave is regulated in the Main Collective Agreement § 11 and the Working Environment Act § 12-8:

• An employee working full daytime hours who is breastfeeding has the right to paid time off of up to two hours per day.
• An employee working between 2/3 and a full day who is breastfeeding, has the right to paid time off of one hour per day.
• Employees working less than 2/3 of a full day who are breastfeeding, have the right to unpaid time off according to the rules in the Working Environment Act § 12-8.