Call centre workers at insurance company DNB are speaking out against a high-tech surveillance system that triggers an alarm if they spend more than eight minutes per day in the loo.
Managers are alerted by flashing lights if an employee is away from their desk beyond the allotted time.
Unions and workplace inspectors have branded this practice as “highly intrusive” and an infringement of human rights.
A Norwegian privacy regulator called Datatilsynet has written to DNB, complaining that such an action is “a major violation of privacy”.
In the letter, it said: “Each individual worker has different needs and these kinds of strict controls deprive the employees of all freedoms over the course of their working day."
The employees union Finansforbundet insisted that such rules are unacceptable.
A spokesman added: "Surveying staff to limit lavatory visits, cigarette breaks, personal phone calls and other personal needs to a total of eight minutes per day is highly restrictive and intrusive and must be stopped."
DNB has defended its policy by arguing that the aim of the checks was not to measure the breaks taken by individual workers. Its purpose was to assess staffing needs to ensure all calls from customers were answered and it would now be reviewing the policy.
It is not the first time Norway has had problems with its lavatory policies.
Last year, one firm was reported for making female workers wear a red bracelet when they were having their period to justify more frequent trips to the loo.
Another company made staff sign a lavatory "visitors book" while a third issued employees with an electronic key card to gain access to the lavatories so they could monitor breaks.
Norway's chief workplace ombudsman Bjorn Erik Thon said: "These are extreme cases of workplace monitoring, but they are real.
"Toilet codes relating to menstrual cycles are clear violations of privacy and is very insulting to the people concerned.
"I hope and believe that this is not representative of the Norwegian working life in general,” he added.
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