Dette er en ganske tydelig dom til støtte for arbeidstakere som blir pålagt handover utenfor ordinær arbeidstid.

Kort fortalt:

• Handover ved skiftbytte er arbeidstid, ikke noe som automatisk er dekket av nattillegget.
• Det avgjørende er hvilket arbeid arbeidstakeren faktisk utførte i den aktuelle oppholdsperioden, ikke hva vedkommende normalt arbeider.
• En arbeidstaker som i en konkret 14-dagersperiode bare arbeider dagskift og derfor ikke mottar nattillegg, kan ikke få handover-tiden «bakt inn» i et tillegg vedkommende ikke får.
• Pålagt handover utenfor arbeidstiden skal derfor godtgjøres som overtid, innenfor den normale tiden for skiftbyttet.
• Retten la samtidig til grunn at handover normalt skal være maksimalt 15 minutter per skiftbytte, med mer enn dette bare unntaksvis.
• Arbeidsgiver ble dømt til etterbetaling.
• Arbeidstakeren var organisert i Styrke, og saken ble prosedert av LO-advokat Edvard Bakke.

Det prinsipielt interessante er at arbeidsgiver ikke kan bruke et generelt tillegg som begrunnelse for at faktisk utført arbeid er ubetalt, når arbeidstakeren i den aktuelle perioden ikke har fått det tillegget.

Dette kan være særlig relevant dersom dere har tilsvarende praksis med handover på slutten/begynnelsen av skift hvor ansatte har rene dagskiftperioder, eller hvor arbeidsgiver hevder at tiden allerede er «kompensert» gjennom et annet tillegg.

The Labour Court recently handed down a judgment concerning employees who normally work both day and night shifts during a 14-day offshore period, but who, during a particular offshore period, have worked day shifts only. For that specific period in which they worked only day shifts, the employee was entitled under paragraph 8, second subsection of the collective agreement to compensation for the time spent on handover between shifts.

The employer argued that the time spent on handover – the short transfer of information between shifts – was covered by the night-shift allowance, including for employees who had not worked night shifts and therefore had not received any such allowance, because they normally worked both day and night shifts.

LO and Styrke argued that the employer’s position was contrary to the collective agreement and to an agreement protocol from 2012, and was unreasonable. LO attorney Edvard Bakke stated in court that: “LO would never have signed a protocol that meant employees were expected to work for free during their own leisure time.”

The majority of the Labour Court ruled in favour of LO. The Court emphasised that the night-shift allowance is compensation for the burden associated with night work. When an employee works day shifts only and does not receive a night-shift allowance, the handover time spent outside working hours is not covered by that allowance.

The Court established that an employee who works day shifts only during an offshore period is entitled to overtime payment for mandatory handover meetings. This applies to the period normally required for the shift handover, which should only exceptionally exceed 15 minutes per shift change.

The employer was ordered to pay the affected employee back pay.

The case was argued by LO attorney Edvard Bakke. The employee was a member of Styrke.