Working as a vikar, ringevikar, or through an agency. What rights do employees have in Norway?
You don’t have a fixed schedule. Sometimes you work five days a week, other times your phone is silent. Your shift can disappear overnight, and all you hear is: “You’re not needed today.” Officially, you’re a vikar, ringevikar, or working through an agency, but in reality, you’ve been doing the same job as permanent employees for months.
Work in Norway – employee rights
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For many Poles in Norway, this is everyday life—especially in cleaning, hotels, warehouses, production, gastronomy, care, and construction. This work model is not always illegal. The problem starts when flexibility works only one way: the employee must always be available, but has no guarantee of hours, stable income, or clear rules for ending cooperation.
“You’re just a vikar” doesn’t mean you have no rights
In Norway, terms like vikar, ringevikar, ekstrahjelp, or agency worker are used very loosely. For employees, what matters is not only what the employer calls the position, but also how the work is actually performed.
Every employee should have a written contract. This also applies to those employed temporarily, through an agency, or “on call.” The contract should specify, among other things, the position, workplace, salary, working hours, schedule rules, and whether the employment is permanent or temporary.
Many employees assume that since they signed a contract as a vikar or ringevikar, they can’t demand anything. That’s a mistake. Under Norwegian law, not only the job title matters, but also the actual way the work is performed.
Vikar, ringevikar, agency—what’s the difference?
Vikar is usually someone employed as a substitute, for example, for an employee on sick leave, vacation, or parental leave. Such employment should have a real justification.
Ringevikar is an “on-call” worker—comes in when the employer needs an extra person. This model can be convenient, but it can be problematic if the employee actually lives off this job, is always available, but still has no predictable hours.
Agency worker is formally employed by an agency but works in another company. In this situation, the question often arises: who is responsible for pay, schedules, canceled shifts, and working conditions?
Agency workers often don’t know who to turn to: the agency or the company where they actually work. This should not work against them. First, it’s necessary to determine who is formally responsible for the situation and what obligations arise from the contract.
RingevikarMojaNorwegia
Canceled shifts and lack of hours—when does it become a problem?
One of the most common problems is shifts canceled at the last minute. The employee has a schedule, organizes their day, sometimes travels to the workplace, and then finds out they won’t be working after all.
Are you entitled to pay for this? It depends on the contract, schedule, and previous arrangements. The more specific the planned shift was, the harder it is for the employer to claim the employee is owed nothing.
It’s worth keeping schedules, SMS messages, app messages, emails, pay slips, and your own notes about hours worked. In disputes with the employer, documentation is often crucial.
Another problem can be when the employee simply stops getting shifts. There is no formal termination, no letter, no conversation—the phone is silent. In such cases, it’s worth asking the employer or agency for a written explanation of whether the contract is still valid and why there are no hours.
Temporary work cannot be a way to circumvent the law
Norwegian law assumes that permanent employment is the basic form of employment. Temporary work is possible, but it should be justified.
Red flags should appear when:
- you’ve been working regularly for months but are still “on call”,
- you have the duties of a full-time employee but not the stability,
- your contract is constantly extended for short periods,
- the employer refuses to specify the number of hours,
- shifts are canceled without pay,
- you don’t receive pay for all hours worked,
- the agency and company shift responsibility between each other.
If temporary employment is used to avoid obligations towards the employee, it’s worth checking whether such practice is legal. Simply signing a short contract does not always settle the matter.
Worse treatment of foreign workers? Don’t ignore it
Poles and other foreign workers often don’t want to cause trouble because they fear losing their job or future shifts. However, sometimes this uncertainty is exploited.
Warning signs include lower rates than other employees for the same work, the worst shifts, no explanations for deductions, no contract, or comments like: “If you don’t like it, we’ll find someone else.”
Not every difference in treatment means discrimination. However, if worse conditions are linked to nationality, language, origin, or the fact that the employee doesn’t know Norwegian regulations, the matter should be taken seriously.
What to do before things escalate?
Most important: don’t wait and collect documents. Useful items include:
- employment contract and annexes,
- schedules,
- SMS, emails, and app messages,
- pay slips,
- list of hours worked,
- information about canceled shifts,
- details of the agency and the company where you actually work.
It’s also worth asking the employer or agency for a written explanation of your situation. A short message could be: “Please provide written confirmation of my current employment status, the number of hours specified in my contract, and the rules for canceling scheduled shifts.”
This message doesn’t have to be confrontational. The point is to leave a trace and get a clear answer.
Termination of employment contract?
Sometimes, when an employer does not offer new tasks to an employee hired as a vikar, such behavior (omission) by the employer may be considered an unjustified termination of the employment contract. In such a case, it is worth seeking legal support through free legal aid. A lawyer can then assess whether the employee is entitled to compensation from the employer.
If you are interested in topics related to labor law and everyday problems of employees in Norway, also check out:
- Polish and Norwegian labor law: surprising differences you need to know https://www.mojanorwegia.pl/praca-i-prawo-pracy/polskie-i-norweskie-prawo-pracy-zaskakujace-roznice-ktore-musisz-znac-26840.html
- What to do if your employer does not pay feriepenger in Norway? https://www.mojanorwegia.pl/artykul-sponsorowany/co-zrobic-gdy-pracodawca-nie-wyplaca-feriepenger-w-norwegii-24268.html
- 7 mistakes Poles in Norway make that most often lead to legal problems https://www.mojanorwegia.pl/zycie-w-norwegii/7-bledow-polakow-w-norwegii-ktore-najczesciej-prowadza-do-problemow-prawnych-27655.html
- New rules for residence and work in Norway—what changed in 2025? A guide for Polish citizens https://www.mojanorwegia.pl/polacy-w-norwegii/nowe-zasady-pobytu-i-pracy-w-norwegii-co-sie-zmienilo-w-2025-roku-przewodnik-dla-obywateli-polski-24393.html
Need legal help in Norway?
Issues related to temporary work, agency employment, vikar or ringevikar status often look different than employees expect at first. The problem may not only be the contract itself, but also how it is carried out: number of hours, canceled shifts, lack of pay, unclear schedules, ending cooperation without formal notice, or unequal treatment of employees.
Norwegian labor law protects employees in many situations, but to effectively assert your rights, you need to know what documents to collect, what questions to ask your employer, and when not to sign further agreements without consultation.
If you have doubts about your contract, agency work, vikar or ringevikar status, pay, schedule, or ending cooperation: contact Advokatfirma Nierzwicki & Bluszko AS.
The law firm specializes in helping Poles living and working in Norway. They combine knowledge of the Norwegian legal system with an understanding of the realities faced by Polish workers, who often don’t know whether their situation is “normal” or already requires action.
Contact us to discuss your situation and make sure your rights as an employee in Norway are properly protected.
Advokatfirma Nierzwicki & Bluszko ASAdvokatfirma Nierzwicki & Bluszko AS
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