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Family care leave

Family care leave is primarily granted in connection with the care for minors. It is a prerequisite that the absence from work is necessary in order to care for the child and that you have registered children under your care in the self-service portal, see user guide.

Care for other close persons may warrant compassionate leave or attendance allowance.


Two weeks of care benefits on birth/adoption

  • The father/co-mother is entitled to two weeks of paid leave in connection with the actual birth.
  • On adoption, both parents are entitled to two weeks of paid leave on assuming care of the child.
  • Use Paid birthcare leave 2 wk in the self-service portal.
  • Read more about parental leave.

Leave when your child or the child's minder is ill

Conditions

The right to leave in the case of a child’s illness is stipulated in section 20 of the Basic Collective Agreement as 10 working days per calendar year for each employee, and applies for children up to the age of and including the year they turn 12.

You may receive care benefit for:

  • 10 days per calendar year if you are responsible for the care of one child.
  • 12 days per calendar year if you are responsible for the care of two children.
  • 15 days per calendar year if you are responsible for the care of three or more  children.
  • 20 days per calendar year if you have the sole responsiblitiy for the care of one  child.
  • 24 days per calendar year if you have the sole responsiblitiy for the care of two children.
  • 30 days per calendar year if you have the sole responsiblitiy for the care of three or more  children.

Upon application to NAV (nav.no) (Norwegian) you may receive the following benefits:

  • If your child has a long-term/chronic illness or a disability and this leads to a marked higher risk of your absence from work, you may in addition receive care benefits for 10 days for each chronically ill or disabled child up to and including the calendar year the child turns 18. If you have the sole responsibility for the care, the amount of days is doubled. By "chronic illness" is meant, for example, children with heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and serious congenital defects. The expression "long-term illness" is taken to mean illness of at least one year’s duration, and it must refer to the same occurrence of the illness.
  • Note: You must apply to NAV for extended care benefits yourself and submit the approval to your local personnel officer.

If you and the other parent of the child don't live together, the days of care benefit may be distributed between the two of you according to the contract stipulating the being together with the child (samv?rsavtale). You must submit a written statement to NAV concerning the distribution of child care in accordance with the contract stipulating the being together wit the child. NAV issues a statement to the employer about the distribution of care benefits.

You may transfer up to 10 days of care benefit to your new spouse or cohabitant provided the cohabitant relationship has lasted at least 12 months. UiO must receive a written notification of the transfer.

If you are a new employee and have started working, you also are entitled to salary during absence due to your child's or child minder's illness. You must, however, during the first four weeks of employment deliver a medical certificate as of the first day of absence.

If you have had a leave of absence from your employment for more than 14 days, the same rules apply: The first four weeks after resuming work, you must provide a medical certificate as of the first day of absence.

Attendance allowance and training allowance

If the child is in need of further supervision and care, you may be entitled to attendance allowance and training allowance.

Registration in the self-service portal

  • Leave is requested in the self-service portal with the type of leave Sick child, see user guide (dfo.no).
  • This type of absence can be used for entire days or half days.
  • Registration presupposes that children 12 years of age or younger under your care are registered in the self-service portal under User profile, see user guide (dfo.no). The ordinary quota for sick child days is automatically updated in UiO's payroll and personnel system SAP on transition to a new year.
  • For children older than 12 a copy of the grant letter from NAV must be sent to the Group for Absence and Reimbursement at the Payroll Office (GRUF). Such extended quotas are manually updated in SAP by GRUF in January every year on the basis of previously submitted documentation. If there is a new grant letter from NAV, a copy must be sent to GRUF.
  • The rules for the documentation of the child’s illness are the same as those for when an employee is ill. If an employee is absent from work more than three calendar days because of the illness of a child, the employer can request a medical certificate.
  • Read more about absence notification due to illness.

Leave for nursing mothers

Conditions

  • A nursing mother who is in a full-time position is entitled to paid leave from work of a maximum of two hours per day, cf. Basic Collective Agreement, section 19 (4).
  • For employees who do not work full-time, the following applies:
    • A nursing mother who works between two-thirds of a day and a full working day is entitled to leave of a maximum of one hour each day.
    • A nursing mother who works less than two-thirds of a day is entitled to unpaid leave pursuant to the provisions laid down in the Working Environment Act.
  • If the employee wishes to take leave with pay in order to continue to breastfeed after a period of nine months following the birth of the child, the employer can request confirmation from the employee’s doctor or a health institution that she is continuing to breastfeed the child.

Application and registration in the self-service portal

  • Send a written application (excel) to your personnel manager and enclose a certificate from doctor or health care centre.
  • Register leave in the self-service portal as working hours with the type ;Breastfeeding paid leave, see user guide (dfo.no).
  • Note! Leave for nursing mothers must be registered within ordinary working hours:
    • From 15 May - 14. September: 08.00-15.00
    • From 15 September-14 May: 08.00-15.45

Family care leave in addition to parental leave (without pay)

Parents are together entitled to 3 years of family care leave without pay in addition to parental leave with pay. The leave must be used to provide care for their child. Holidays are not included in the leave but may be taken in addition to it.

Conditions

  • The leave may be taken in connection with the parental leave and/or in the period until the child turns 12.
  • Employees are not entitled to a part-time leave or a leave of less than 6 months.
  • The father's entitlement to 2 weeks of  parental leave in connection with birth is additional to the entitlement to family care leave without pay.
  • The entitlement to 3 years of family care leave without pay may be used jointly by the parents.
  • Employees who wish to make use of their entitlement to family care leave without pay should inform their employer in writing as early as possible, at the latest 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the leave.
  • The leave is counted as a pensionable period of service.
  • 100 % family care leave without pay beyond four weeks leads to the cessation of sickness benefits, cf. Social Security Act Sec. 8-2 (lovdata.no) (Norwegian). Partial family care leave without pay beyond four weeks leads to a reduction of sickness benefits according to the percentage of leave. Example: If you take 20 % family care leave without pay beyond four weeks, you are entitled to sickness benefits of an 80 % position.
  • From and including the first day back at work, the employee is again entitled to pay during illness regardless of the requirement for working time (opptjeningstid) according to Section 8-2 of the National Insurance Act, provided that a fixed working time and date for re-entry have both been agreed in advance.

Application and registration in the self-service portal

Family care leave when taking over care for a foster child (without pay)

Conditions

  • Foster parents are entitled to two weeks of leave when taking over care for a foster child, cf. Working Environment Act Section 12-3 (2) (pdf) (arbeidstilsynet.no). This entitlement does no apply to the adoption of stepchildren or when a child is more than 15 years of age.
  • This entitlement applies to the parent who has not requested parental leave as of the care takeover and enables the foster parents to stay at home with the foster child in the same way as biological parents can.
  • Employees who take over the care for a foster child are not entitled to pay during the two weeks of leave. The Basic Collective Agreement, section 19.3 only pertains to birth and adoption.
  • Together, the foster parents are entitled to unpaid leave for up to three year when taking over care for a foster child if the child is below 15 years of age, cf. Working Environment Act Section 12-5 (4) (pdf) (arbeidstilsynet.no). Such leave is granted without social benefits.
  • The leave is pensionable.

Application and registration in the self-service portal

Published Feb. 2, 2010 9:02 AM - Last modified Feb. 23, 2023 12:14 PM