Introduction to Working conditions and Security Standards

Safety at work is a right and a duty for both workers and employers, and must always be presented regardless of the sector, company, or job function. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Act seeks to:

• Ensure a safe and healthy working environment, which is generally in line with social and technological development in society.
• Ensure conditions for the safety and health problems to be solved within the workplaces themselves, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Each workplace should have an elected safety representative. Safety representative’s role in the workplace is, in cooperation with the employer, to monitor that the environment, hygiene and safety at the workplace is in accordance with the law. In companies or workplaces with 1-9 employees it is the employer’s job to act as the safety representative, in companies with over 10 employees, safety representative should be elected from two individuals, one selected from the employer and one from the employees, and in workplaces with over 50 employees, it is obligated to establish a so-called safety committee.

It is an important factor in safety measurements that all employers fill out a variety of reporting to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Employers should always fill out a form if accidents happen in the workplace, and this can also be important regarding the incurrences of the companies, if the accident leads to sickness or injury.

All employers are also obligated to carry out a risk assessment regarding the working conditions of pregnant women or women who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. This is done to protect mothers and pregnant women from effects of the workplace and minimize the risk to the child and the mother.

It is also important to know that employers are obligated to take special measures to prevent employees from being sexually harassed in the workplace. Employers have a duty to not allow bullying behavior to persist in the workplace.

According to law, all workers absent from work due to accidents at work, on the way to work or due to occupational disease caused by it, should be paid wages for daytime work for up to 3 months according to the rates agreed in the wage agreements.

The Administration of Occupational Safety and Health (Vinnueftirlitið) is responsible for ensuring that employers comply with laws and regulations.

To report violation of safety in the job, employees can contact them or send a tip through their website.

You can also seek help from your union about most of these issues and they will guide you towards the right institution or help you with the problem.

As the agreements can vary, here we will mention the most common or general rules. It is important for specific job sectors to look at the agreement on the website of the unions or ask for help from their representatives.

Maximum working hours 
Maximum working hours in continuation: 
A working cycle may generally not be longer than 16 hours per day, however it is not permitted to plan working hours that exceed 13 hours per day.

Maximum working hours per month: 
Daytime working time is 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week or 173,33 hour per month. However, with the newly signed collective agreement, Lífskjarasamningar, this has already started to change in some professions, with the shortening of the work week.

Minimum rest
The general rule regarding minimum rest is 11 hours per day, but expectations can be found in the collective agreements for specific professions for example craftsmen. There are also special rules in place for children and young individuals. 

If the agreed falls under the minimum, and the employee exceeds the 11 hours, he or she should have a corresponding holiday for that time  or a reduction of 11 hours, rest with 50% load, that is if the employees does not get 11 hours rest he/she should get vacation time or have the overtime paid with next salary payment.

Weekly minimum rest 
The maximum working hours of an employee per week on overtime should not be more than 28 hours on average every month. However, according to some agreements, the working hours may be calculated based on a reference point up to six months. If there are objectives or technical reasons or due to the special nature of the work, maximum working hours of the employees can be calculated based on reference up to twelve months, but not following the core rules of the law previously mentioned.

Overtime 
Overtime differs between different wage agreements and employment contracts. 

Overtime is often paid when: 

• Working hours exceed administrative daytime working hours. 
• If the employee exceeds the regular number of working days per month
• If the employee must work during meals and coffee hours during the daytime working hours. 

How overtime is calculated depends on the wage agreements and if the total hours depend on a day, a week, or a month. 

Employees also must be aware that not all employers allow overtime, it is important that workers are aware of the agreement in place, in those situations employees will often get a vacation time instead of salary for the excess time worked.

Working calendar 
The work calendar of the workplace should be accessible to the employees and needs to show the minimum of 4 weeks ahead, with 6 weeks as the standard. If any changes are made, they should be made with a 4-week notice.

Public holiday 
Employers who do not work  shifts are generally entitled to time off on special holiday days unless agreements have been made between the employer and the employee. 

Individuals working shifts get specific pay for working on special holidays. On special holidays overtime is paid for each hour worked, and on public holidays workers should receive a special red day salary (increase on hourly rates). 

 Vacation days 
All employees are entitled to take a vacation time for a certain number of days in addition to holiday pay that is calculated from all wages.

Statutory leave is 24 working days, which is equivalent to 4 weeks and 4 days based on work from Monday to Friday. 

This however can differ from wage agreements, and it is often that employees that have worked for a certain period with the same employer, have increased vacation entitlement.

The main rule due to an employee’s illness is that illness should not influence his or her financial status.. So, in the first period of illness, they should have the same pay as if they had been working.

However, the number of sick days depend on the collective agreements, but according to the law the minimum right is 2 days per month, it is common you get more sick days after you have been longer with the company. It is also important to know that if you get sick on your holiday you can have the right to notify your employer and you could get more days added to the holiday.

Regarding sickness of children, it differs on wage agreements but in general wage agreements, parents may spend within the first 6 months of service for the employer, or two days for every month’s work, to support their children under the age of 13, or children under the age of 16 in the event of serious illness. After 6 months of service, the right will be 12 days within every 12 months. This right to sickness is independent and is not deducted from the general right to sickness because of one’s own illness.

Study leave and unpaid leave vary between contracts, but are always done in collaboration with the employer, however in most cases employees are entitled to such leaves.  

Most of the unions support members financially to obtain education and courses, through special educational funds.