How to resign in Norway: notice period, resignation letter template and handover

Resigning from a job is rarely difficult in itself. The difficult part is doing it cleanly, so you keep a good relationship with the employer, meet the deadlines and don't leave a mess for someone else to clear up. This guide takes you through the whole resignation, from checking your employment contract to walking out the door for the last time. If you have been laid off (permittert) and are considering leaving, also read the guide on lay-offs.

First the most important thing: this is general information, not legal advice. What is binding is the Working Environment Act (arbeidsmiljøloven), your own employment contract and any collective agreement. If you are unsure about something specific, check Arbeidstilsynet (the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) or ask your union representative or your union.

Check the notice period before you say anything

The first thing to do is find out how long a notice period (oppsigelsestid) you have. Don't guess, and don't assume it's one month just because that is common.

The main rule in the law is in section 15-3 of the Working Environment Act: unless something else is agreed in writing or set in a collective agreement, a mutual notice period of one month applies. "Mutual" means it applies both ways, both when you resign and when the employer dismisses you.

But the period can be longer, and this is where you have to read your own contract:

• If you have been employed continuously for at least five years in the same business when you resign, the period is at least two months.
• At least ten years gives at least three months.
• Your employment contract or collective agreement may have agreed a longer period than the law. Then the longer period applies. Many contracts have, for example, three months for key positions.

The figures above vary, then, with seniority and with what your contract says. Find your employment contract, and if you are in a union, check the collective agreement that applies to your workplace. It takes five minutes and saves you an embarrassing misunderstanding later.

Are you on probation?

If you are employed in writing on a set probation period (prøvetid), the mutual notice period is 14 days, unless something else is agreed in writing or set in a collective agreement. That applies in both directions here too.

When does the notice period start to run?

This is the detail people most often get wrong. Under section 15-3 of the Working Environment Act, the notice period runs from the first day of the month after the resignation took place.

If you want to leave as quickly as possible, it pays to hand in on the last day of a month. If you hand in on 31 March, the period starts on 1 April anyway, but you have "used up" less time waiting. If you hand in on 1 April, on the other hand, you have lost a whole month: the period doesn't start until 1 May.

Work out the date before you hand in, and agree your last working day in writing with your manager, so you are in agreement from the start.

Write a written resignation

You should hand in your resignation in writing. The law sets strict formal requirements for an employer dismissing an employee (section 15-4), but when you resign yourself as an employee, it is simpler. You don't need a long justification. Still: hand it in in writing regardless, so there is no later discussion about what was said and when.

A resignation from you needs only a few things: who you are, which position you are resigning from, that you are indeed resigning, and from which date. You don't need to explain why you are leaving. It is your right not to.

Here is a template you can use:

Resignation from position

To: [Name of closest manager / company] From: [Your name] Date: [date]

I hereby resign from my position as [job title] at [company].

In accordance with my employment contract I have a notice period of [number of months]. My last working day will therefore be [date], unless we agree otherwise.

Thank you for the time here. I am happy to contribute to a good handover before I leave.

Kind regards [Your name and signature]

Keep it short and friendly. You can mention that you have a new job if you wish, but you aren't required to.

Hand it in and get a confirmation

Give the resignation to your closest manager. In practice it is common to say it out loud first, in a short conversation, and then hand it in in writing straight afterwards, preferably by email so you have a timestamp.

Ask for a short confirmation that the resignation has been received, and of the date the notice period runs from. It costs nothing and removes all doubt. If you get the confirmation by email, both parties have the same starting point.

If you are unsure whether something about the resignation has been handled correctly, for example if the employer disagrees about the period, contact your union representative, your union or Arbeidstilsynet before you go further.

Agree the practical matters

Once the resignation is in, a number of concrete things remain to be settled. Take them early, not in the last week:

• Last working day. Calculated from the period, but some people agree another date.
• Remaining holiday. If you have holiday days owed, how are they handled during the notice period? The Holiday Act sets the framework, so settle it concretely. You take the holiday pay you have earned with you, see holiday pay when you leave.
• Handover. Which tasks are to be transferred, to whom, and when.
• Equipment and access. PC, phone, keys, access cards, accounts. Make a list.
• Employment reference (attest). You are entitled to one. In Norway an "attest" is the written reference from your employer confirming your role and period of employment. Ask for it in good time, so it is ready when you leave.

Write down what you agree. A short summarising email is enough.

Leave well

How you leave is what people remember. The notice period isn't a waiting room, it is your last chance to leave a good impression with people who may become references, contacts or future colleagues again.

Keep up the pace on ongoing tasks. Document what is in your head, so whoever takes over isn't stuck. Offer to train your successor if there is time. And keep the tone good, even if you are leaving because you were dissatisfied. Norway is small, and industries are small. You will meet the same people again.

The way on to a new job

Many people resign before they have signed anything new, and that is perfectly fine, but then the job search begins in earnest. If you already have a new job lined up, you can jump straight to the handover. If you don't, now is when the work starts.

Make a plan instead of applying haphazardly. The guide on how to search for a job takes you through the whole process, and the job search plan helps you keep up with several applications at the same time. When you have found positions you want to apply for, the method for the application itself is in the guide on writing a job application.

If you are moving to a completely different industry, not just a new employer, the guide on changing careers is written for exactly that.

In short

Resign in writing, check the notice period in your contract before you hand it in, and remember that the period runs from the first day of the following month. You need no justification. Agree the practical matters early, hand over cleanly, and keep the tone good throughout. Then you are finished with the old job in a way you can stand behind, and ready for the next.

When the resignation is in, the next step is to find what you resigned for. See vacancies from all over Norway and get started.