Arbeidsmiljøloven §4-3 (Norwegian Working Environment Act) · Updated October 2026
Course in the psychosocial work environment, bullying and harassment
A practical, law-anchored introduction for managers, HR, safety representatives and the working environment committee (AMU). Learn what the psychosocial work environment actually is, what the 1 January 2026 clarification of section 4-3 means, and what your organisation should have in place.
- Duration
- about 90 minutes
- Language
- Norwegian & English
- Kursbevis
- Yes, included
- Price
- NOK 990, pay when you pass
The whole course is free to take. No account needed to start. After you pass the exam you get your certificate through the course.
Certificate · §4-3
HMS-2026-000481
Awarded to
Kari Nordmann
Department manager · Eksempelbedrift AS · Trondheim
Issued
23 April 2026
Exam
96 % (70 % pass mark)
Scan to verify, or visit
hmslederkurs.no/kursbevis/eksempel
Sample certificate. Real format, fictional name. Open the full version.
In short
Working Environment Act section 4-3 requires the psychosocial working environment factors to be fully sound. From 1 January 2026 the second paragraph lists four examples: unclear demands, emotional demands, workload and time pressure, and support and help at work. The Labour Inspection Authority writes that the changes add no new requirements but clarify existing ones. No rule requires this exact course, but section 1A-4 of the regulation on the performance of work says workers must get the training needed for a fully sound psychosocial working environment. The course gives managers, HR, safety representatives and the committee the general knowledge of the requirements, with a certificate the same day. Information and training on the business's own risk factors, measures and routines is something the employer must still give all workers.
- Who
- Managers, HR, safety representatives and committee members
- Legal basis
- Arbeidsmiljøloven §4-3
- Last updated
Free to take
pay NOK 990 when you pass
about 90 minutes
done in one sitting
Real people
answer when you have a question
Same day
certificate in inbox
How you get it done
Three steps. No classroom, no travel time.
Start for free
Press start and the course opens in your browser. No payment, no account, no install. If you want to pause and continue on another device, you can leave your email along the way. Questions? A human replies by email as soon as we can.
The 2026 amendment: new first and second paragraph of section 4-3
On 1 January 2026, section 4-3 of the Working Environment Act got a new structure. This lesson explains exactly what changed, what was carried over, and how to talk about the change without overstating it. The last point matters, both legally and for your own credibility.
Pay at the end and get your certificate
Once you pass, you pay and your certificate is issued right away. You pay by card, and companies can get an invoice against their org number on request. A numbered, QR-verified PDF is sent to your email the same day, ready to attach to a reply to an order or file in the HR folder.
A good work environment is more than the physical.
Demands, support, bullying and harassment. The course walks through the requirements in Working Environment Act §4-3 and the clarifications in force from 1 January 2026.
See for yourself
Contents: section 4-3, harassment, violence and threats, and whistleblowing
The psychosocial work environment is about how work is organised and how people are doing together at work. It is the interplay between tasks, organisation, leadership and relationships. When you are finished you should know what the psychosocial work environment actually is, why the topic was raised in 2024 and 2026, and what your business should have in place.
- A lovdata link in every module, so you can verify every claim
- Skim-reading is fine, no time gates on pages
- A short knowledge check at the end of every module
9 modules in the course
Each module links directly to lovdata.no and the Labour Inspection Authority's guidance.
How the course is built. Open a module to see what it covers and which statutory provisions it rests on.
01What the psychosocial work environment is, and what the 2026 clarification means
The psychosocial work environment is about conditions in the work, not personality or job satisfaction: how clear the tasks are, how heavy the workload is, how much support you get, and how leadership and cooperation work. The module separates physical, organisational and psychosocial factors, shows why the topic was raised in 2024 and 2026, and establishes that the responsibility lies with the employer.
Legal basis:aml §4-3
02The 2026 amendment: new first and second paragraph of section 4-3
From 1 January 2026 section 4-3 got a new first and second paragraph: work must be organised so the psychosocial factors are fully sound, and the second paragraph lists four examples. Protection against harassment and against violence and threats was carried over, not introduced. The Labour Inspection Authority describes the change as a clarification with no new requirements, and the module explains what that means in practice, and why no new law requires a new course.
Legal basis:aml §4-3Arbeidstilsynet
03The four risk factors in practice
The module takes the four examples in section 4-3(2) one at a time: unclear or conflicting demands, emotional demands in work with people, workload and time pressure, and support and help at work. You learn to recognise each factor in daily work, why they must be seen together, and which measures work. The list is examples, not an exhaustive checklist.
Legal basis:aml §4-3 annet ledd
04Bullying, harassment and sexual harassment: the legal definitions
Section 4-3 says employees must not be subjected to harassment, including sexual harassment, or other improper conduct, and defines the terms by both purpose and effect. The module explains what characterises bullying, and why a factual disagreement or feedback on work is not harassment. It also shows when an individual case should go to HR, the occupational health service or a lawyer.
Legal basis:aml §4-3 femte ledd
05Violence and threats: protection, mapping and follow-up
Employees must as far as possible be protected against violence, threats and undue strain from contact with others (section 4-3). The requirements for mapping, measures, information, training and follow-up on violence and threats used to sit in chapter 23A of the regulation on the performance of work and from 2026 are in chapter 3A, which the Labour Inspection Authority calls mainly a continuation. You learn to assess lone working and to follow up an employee after an incident.
Legal basis:aml §4-3Forskrift om utførelse av arbeid
06Roles and responsibilities
Who does what: the employer has overall responsibility, the line manager is the key in daily work, and the safety representative must in particular see that the psychosocial work environment is safeguarded (section 6-2(2)(f)). A working environment committee is required from 30 employees, and from 10 when a party demands it (section 7-1). You also see the roles of HR, the occupational health service and employees themselves.
07Mapping, risk assessment and prevention
Psychosocial conditions belong in systematic HSE work alongside the physical ones. The regulation requires the employer to map the factors, assess the risk individually and together, and take measures, in cooperation with employees and their representatives (sections 1A-2 and 1A-3). You learn several mapping methods and why the most effective measures sit at organisational level.
Legal basis:Forskrift om utførelse av arbeid kap. 1A
08Handling cases and whistleblowing
Employees have the right to report censurable conditions, and the employer must ensure the report is adequately investigated within a reasonable time (section 2 A-3). Businesses that regularly employ at least five people must have written routines for internal whistleblowing (section 2 A-6). The module gives a safe procedure for bullying and harassment cases that protects both parties.
Legal basis:aml kapittel 2 A
09From knowledge to action: action plan and documentation
The final module turns knowledge into action: a concrete plan to review routines, map, assess risk, check whistleblowing routines and secure leadership competence, and how the work is documented in internal control. The 2026 clarification is an occasion to quality-check what you already have, not to start over.
Legal basis:Arbeidstilsynet: psykososialt arbeidsmiljø
Legal basis and sources
The course is built on these sources. The links go to the statute or to the supervisory authority's own guidance, so you can read the requirement yourself.
- Arbeidsmiljøloven §4-3
Requirements for the psychosocial working environment: fully sound, example factors, protection against harassment and against violence and threats.
- Forskrift om utførelse av arbeid, kapittel 1A
The employer must map and assess the psychosocial factors, take measures and give the necessary information and training (sections 1A-1 to 1A-5, from 2026).
- Forskrift om utførelse av arbeid, kapittel 2A og 3A
Separate chapters on harassment and other improper conduct, and on violence and threats.
- Arbeidsmiljøloven §6-2
The safety representative must in particular see that the employees' psychosocial working environment is safeguarded.
- Arbeidsmiljøloven kapittel 2 A
The right to blow the whistle, the employer's duty to act, and written routines in businesses with at least five employees.
- Arbeidstilsynet: psykososialt arbeidsmiljø
The 2026 changes add no new requirements but clarify existing ones.
Your certificate, same day
A quick, documented path to your certificate.
You take the course, pass the exam, and have a numbered, QR-verified certificate in your inbox the same day. Ready to show the Labour Inspection Authority, HR, or an auditor.
Pass it in the same session
You take the exam right after the last lesson, see the result immediately, and can retry free if you fail. No examiner queue, no waiting for post. 70 % pass mark.
Questions along the way? We answer
If something is unclear while you take the course, send us a message right from the course. A real person reads it and answers as soon as we can.
QR-verified in seconds
Every certificate has a unique number (HMS-YYYY-NNNNNN) and a QR code. HR, an auditor or the Labour Inspection Authority can scan and confirm it directly against our register.
Grounded in law, kept current
Every module links directly to lovdata and the Labour Inspection Authority's guidance, so you can verify every claim yourself. Updated whenever the regulations change.
Who wrote this course
The course is developed and maintained in-house by HMS Lederkurs, grounded in current law and regulation and the Labour Inspection Authority's guidance.
Every lesson links directly to lovdata.no and the Labour Inspection Authority's guidance, so you can verify every claim yourself. The content is updated when the rules change. The certificate documents the completed training, its content and its legal basis.
This is what your certificate looks like
Numbered HMS-2026-NNNNNN. QR-verified. Send it to your employer, HR or the Labour Inspection Authority. They can scan and confirm it directly against our register.
Open the example certificatePrice
Start free, pay when you pass
No upfront payment. You pay only after you have taken the course and passed the exam.
NOK990
Free to take. You pay when you pass. No VAT (mval §3-5)
- The whole course and exam are free to take
- Certificate with QR verification, pay only when you pass
- Real people answer your questions along the way
- Free retake if you fail
The whole course is free to take. No account needed to start. After you pass the exam you get your certificate through the course.
Volume discount for companies
Published prices, no negotiation rounds.
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- NOK 990per seat
- 5+ seats
- NOK 790per seat
- 20+ seats
- NOK 590per seat
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- Contact us
Pay by card now, or ask for an invoice/EHF against your org number via the contact form. HSE courses for businesses →
Frequently asked questions
Is this course legally mandated?
No. No regulation requires this specific course, neither before nor after the 2026 changes. It is not a legally mandated course in its own right, but it walks through the requirements of section 4-3 and what they mean in practice. Compliance itself happens in the organisation's own work, not on the course.
What actually changed in section 4-3 from 1 January 2026?
Section 4-3 got a new first and second paragraph making the requirements more concrete, including a non-exhaustive list of four example factors: unclear demands, emotional demands, workload and time pressure, and support. The fully-satisfactory requirement is old, and protection against harassment, violence and threats was carried over. The Labour Inspection Authority calls it a clarification without new duties.
Who is responsible for the psychosocial work environment?
The overall responsibility lies with the employer under section 2-1 and cannot be delegated away. Tasks can be distributed to managers and HR, but the responsibility remains with the employer. The safety representative shall especially ensure the psychosocial work environment under 6-2 f from 1.1.2024, and employees have a duty to cooperate under 2-3.
What is the difference between a conflict and harassment?
A factual conflict about how a task should be solved, feedback on poor work, or disagreement between equal colleagues is normal and not harassment. The difference lies in whether the conduct is offensive and whether there is an imbalance of power. The definitions follow the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act section 13, where both purpose and effect count. Individual cases should be referred to HR, the occupational health service or a lawyer.
Must we map all four factors in section 4-3(2)?
The Labour Inspection Authority writes that the examples are neither a ban on the factors nor a minimum list of what every business must map. The regulation still requires the employer to map the psychosocial factors that can affect employees' health, safety or welfare, and to assess the risk (section 1A-2). For very many businesses the four factors will be relevant.
Do we need written whistleblowing routines?
Yes, if the business regularly employs at least five people (Working Environment Act section 2 A-6). Smaller businesses must also have routines where circumstances call for it. The routines must be drawn up together with employees and their representatives, and must not limit the right to blow the whistle.
Putting the whole team through?
Published volume discount from 5 seats, card payment and invoice against org number on request. HR dashboard for progress tracking and bulk certificate downloads.
Background reading
Background reading on what the law requires, before you start.
Psychosocial work-environment rules from 2026: a clarification, not new duties
A clarification of the requirements, not new duties. How to respond correctly.
Training requirements for violence and threats at work
Employers must provide tailored training and drills where the risk exists.
How to document HMS training (with an example certificate)
Field by field: what the certificate must contain, where to file it, and how verification works.
Other courses in the catalogue
Related courses for the same workplace.
From knowledge to action: action plan and documentation
Start for free, take the whole course, and pay only once you have passed. If you fail, you can try again at no extra cost.
Updated 2026 · VAT-exempt (mval §3-5) · Lovdata-linked in every topic
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