Labour Rights Division
Efling’s Labour Rights Division assists union members regarding employers. You can send inquiries to vinnurettindi@efling.is
My rights
It is important for working people to know their collective bargaining rights. That enables us to monitor whether the employer fulfills his obligations regarding terms and conditions of the workplace.
Rights in the labor market vary by occupations. Employment rights in the general and public markets, for example, differ in many respects. In order to find out your employment rights for things like vacation time, sickness, major public holidays, December bonuses and more, it is necessary to know which collective agreement you work under.
Réttindi á vinnumarkaðnum eru mismunandi eftir starfsvettvöngum. Til að mynda eru réttindi á almenna og opinbera markaðnum ólík að mörgu leyti. Til þess að komast að því hver vinnuréttindi þín eru varðandi þætti eins og orlof, veikindi, stórhátíðarkaup, desemberuppbót og annað, er nauðsynlegt að vita undir hvaða kjarasamningi þú starfar.
View more:
Collective agreements and terms depending on job sectors:
If you are unsure under which collective agreement your job falls, you can contact Efling.
What is important to watch out for?
1. Employment contract:
Be sure you get a written employment contract. You should receive a copy of the contract. The employment contract should state; your full name, workplace, short job description, salary, job percentage, pension fund, collective agreement and union membership.
2. Write down the hours worked:
A law was recently passed by Althingi which stipulates the employer’s obligation to set up a time recording system. However, it is still common for those systems to be unreliable. Therefore, it is important to keep track of your hours worked. If you need Efling’s assistance with an issue it is important that you have your worked hours documented.
3. Pay slip:
Your pay slip should show all your worked hours and holiday rights as well as anything your employer deducts from your wages such as tax, pension payments, union dues and etc. You should be able to find your payslip in your online bank under electronic documents.
4. Communications with employer:
Note that if something comes up between you and your employer, you can turn to Efling. For example if you were dismissed from your workplace and did not receive a letter of resignation it is best to have copies of electronic written communications between you and your employer.
5. If in doubt, contact your union:
You can always contact Efling for advice on work-related issues. To contact Efling union, you can send an email to vinnurettindi@efling.is or efling@efling.is.Your union is there for you if something happens at your workplace, and will only act on your behalf with your consent.
Wage calculator
Wage calculator for members working in the private sector
Data submission to the Labor Rights Division
Do you know your rights?
Does your case perhaps belong elsewhere?
If you need help with taxes or other related matters, we suggest Iceland’s Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn):
If you need help regarding unemployment benefits, wage guarantee fund, maternity/paternity leave fund, work permit or other related matters, we suggest the Directorate of Labour (Vinnumálastofnun):
If you need help regarding a work permit or residence permit, we suggest the Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun):