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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure NO-2020-45/1664 Updated – measures in Norway

Grant for additional costs for entry quarantine

Tilskudd for merkostnader til innreisekarantene

Country Norway , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 01 November 2020 – 30 June 2021
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation
Author Aasmund Arup Seip, FAFO and Eurofound
Measure added 06 January 2021 (updated 27 July 2021)

Background information

Many companies in Norway, including in the shipbuilding industry and in the construction industry, are dependent on foreign labour to maintain normal operations. For these companies the quarantine rules entail large costs. The government has established a compensation scheme to help companies with additional expenses for implementing entry quarantine, to maintain production despite strict quarantine measures.

Content of measure

A compensation scheme has been established for companies that sustain additional costs when it provides a suitable place to stay for hired foreign labour during quarantine instead of using subsidised quarantine hotels. The scheme will initially apply for the period 1 November 2020 to 28 February 2021. Such companies will receive a standard amount per employee per day in quarantine of NOK 1,000 (€96) under the following conditions:

  • The company must have had employees or contractors who were subjected to entry quarantine in the period for which a grant is applied for;
  • Quarantine stays carried out at quarantine hotels are not covered;
  • As an employer or client, the company must have been responsible for the quarantine stay;
  • The quarantine stays must have been carried out at a suitable place of residence in accordance with the infection control rules.

The Brønnøysund Register Centre will administer the scheme. NOK 480 million (€45,8 million) has been set aside for the scheme.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

27 June 2021

After a proposal by the Government in the revised national budget 2021, that scheme was extended until June 2021.

Use of measure

No information available yet.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Posted workers
Migrants or refugees in employment
Applies to all businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Public support service providers
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Consulted Consulted
Form Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Social partners jointly
  • Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Social partners have been consulted regularly during the design and implementation of the measure. A union and an employers’ associations have together asked the government to amend the quarantine regulations and to shorten the quarantine period, as the quarantine not only lays a burden on the workers but also bring a stop to many business operations case NO-2020-44/1613 . The present compensation scheme may partly be the government’s response to the challenge.

Views and reactions

The social partners are supportive of the measure.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2021), Grant for additional costs for entry quarantine, measure NO-2020-45/1664 (measures in Norway), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/NO-2020-45_1664.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.