The criminal provision on wage theft

Sections 395 and 396 of the Penal Code define wage theft as a criminal offense in Norway.

These provisions entered into force in January 2022. So far only a few judgments have been handed down, which stands in contrast to reports from trade unions and interest organizations indicating that wage theft is widespread, with comprehensive consequences for those affected.

In May 2025, Klassekampen reported that 383 cases of wage theft had been reported to the police since the law came into force on January 1, 2022. Of these, 291 had been dismissed.

Experience from the police suggests that these cases are often deprioritized in favour of other, more severe crimes, partly because each individual case may involve relatively smaller monetary sums. The police have also found it challenging to document that the legal conditions for punishment are met, as criminal law imposes high standards of proof and requires intent to obtain unlawful gain.

The high number of dismissed cases and the low number of convictions have sparked debate, with disagreement concerning who should take responsibility and what measures should be used. The research project will examine the background to, the introduction of, and the responses to the criminal provision on wage theft.