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Daytime Pay, Article 3.1 of the Collective Agreement
Daytime pay is provided to both temporarily and permanently employed tourist guides for work performed between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays, up to an average of 37.5 hours per week for full-time positions.
Daytime pay is also provided to travel- and project-assigned employees for work performed between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. Overtime pay is applied for work outside these hours or exceeding 7.5 hours per day.
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Shift Work Pay - Articles 2.3 and 3.3 of the Collective Agreement
Shift premiums are paid as follows:
- 33% between 19:00 and 24:00 Monday through Friday.
- 45% between 00:00 and 07:00 on all days and during weekends.
- 45% between 00:00 and 24:00 on specific public holidays.
- 90% between 00:00 and 24:00 on major public holidays.
Shifts refer to pre-scheduled work arrangements. Each shift must be at least 3 hours long and worked as a continuous block.
Shifts should be scheduled for 4 weeks at a time, and the shift schedule must be announced at least one week in advance. Changes to the schedule are allowed in consultation with the guide if special needs arise, following the notice provisions in Article 3.3.4 regarding trip cancellations.
If a trip is canceled on a workday per the schedule and no replacement trip is assigned within the month, daytime pay will still be provided for the canceled trip.
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Bonus Payments, Article 2.4 of the Collective Agreement
The following bonuses apply:
- A 50% bonus on wages for driving-guides when there are 4 or more passengers.
- A 20% bonus on the hourly wage for each additional language spoken beyond one.
- A 25% bonus for trips requiring specialized knowledge from a travel-assigned guide.
- A 25% bonus for tours where the guide acts as the lead guide.
If a guide provides services in more than one vehicle, this must be agreed upon in advance.
If no agreement is made regarding the use of the guide's private phone, a daily payment of 500 ISK will be provided.
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Overtime Pay, Articles 2.3.2, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, and 3.3.3 of the Collective Agreement
Overtime pay is provided for all hours worked exceeding 162.5 active hours per month for permanent and temporary employees.
Additionally, overtime is paid for all work performed on specified public holidays (e.g., Maundy Thursday, Easter Monday, First Day of Summer, May 1st, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Commerce Day, and Boxing Day), along with daytime wages if it is part of a regular workday.*
The hourly overtime rate is calculated as 1.0385% of the monthly daytime wage for each salary category and seniority step.
* Employees working shift work get 45% supplement paid for work on public holidays.
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Employees paid under this agreement should be placed in the following minimum salary
classifications:- Salary grade: Tour Manager/Tour Escort acts as a representative of the travel agency and provides practical services to travelers according to the travel agency's instructions.
- Salary grade: Tourist Guide without specific education in the field of guiding or other preparatory work experience for guiding.
- Salary grade: Tourist Guide with job preparation (education or skills assessment) in the specialized field of guiding or general guiding which is job related, cf. however competence conditions of the third salary grade. These guides can prioritize and organize their own tasks in challenging situations and demonstrate professionalism in their work. They can convey knowledge and skills, justify and reflect on the methods they use, and are responsible for their work environment. They are also capable of mentoring others.
- Salary grade: Tourist Guide with professional preparation for general guiding (education or skills assessment) according to IST EN 15565:2008, which covers the training and education of tourist guides. They possess specialized knowledge useful for guiding. They can prioritize and organize their tasks in challenging situations, demonstrate professionalism, and mentor others. Is able to share his/her knowledge and skills, support and consider the methods he/she uses and, in addition, possesses a sense of responsibility for the work environment and the skills to guide others. If specialized knowledge or education beyond the criteria of the first three salary classifications is required, the parties to the employment agreement must negotiate appropriate wages for the role.
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Holiday Pay, Articles 2.3 and 3.5 of the Collective Agreement
Holiday pay is provided for all work performed on major public holidays (e.g., Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday, June 17th, and after 12:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve).
Holiday pay is calculated as 1.375% of the monthly daytime wage for each salary category and seniority step, along with daytime wages if part of a regular workday.
* Employees working shift work get 90% supplement paid for work on major public holidays.
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Travel Assigned Employees - Cancellation of Tours, Articles 3.2 and 3.4 of the Collective Agreement
Day Tours
If a day tour is cancelled within 24 hours before the announced departure time, the tour must be fully paid at the agreed wage rate, unless canceled due to unavoidable circumstances (e.g., force majeure such as strikes or natural disasters). Failure to meet the minimum number of participants does not qualify as an unavoidable circumstance.Tour operators may offer guides comparable tours during the same period without additional compensation. If the replacement tour is longer or extends beyond the originally agreed time, additional pay will be provided for the extra time worked.
Multi-Day Tours
If a multi-day tour is cancelled, the full tour must be paid as scheduled, unless the employee was notified of the cancellation at least 5 days prior to the agreed start date, except in cases of force majeure.Tour operators may offer the employee work on other tours during the same period as a replacement.
Additionally, it is permitted to agree on priority for guiding tours outside of peak periods instead of replacing a canceled summer tour, provided this suits both parties.
Guide Rejects or Cancels a Tour
If a guide rejects a tour during the same period as the canceled trip, payment corresponding to the replacement trip will be forfeited.If a guide cancels a trip with the same notice period as for day or multi-day tours, they will be liable to compensate the tour operator for half the wages lost due to the cancellation, unless there is a legitimate reason for the cancellation.
A guide may appoint a replacement guide for the tour, subject to the tour operator’s approval. Any rejection of the substitute must be based on valid and reasonable grounds.
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The following minimum payments apply:
- 4 hours for worked time or pre-arranged travel time, except for multi-day tours for travel- and project-assigned guides.
- 11 hours per day for multi-day tours.
- 12 hours per day for camping or cabin tours.
- Time exceeding 11 hours if the guide is required to dine with passengers on extended tours with hotel stays, unless otherwise agreed in advance.
- All work performed beyond regular working hours when requested by the employer.
Working Hours, Expenses, and Accommodation
- A guide's working hours are not concluded until they have arrived at the accommodation designated by the employer.
- If a guide is called to work with less than an hour’s notice, the employer must provide transportation to the workplace.
- If no public transport is available at the start or end of a tour, the employer is responsible for transporting the guide to and from the departure and return locations.
- If the start or end day of a multi-day tour is shorter than 3.75 hours, 3.75 hours will be paid for that day. If the day is longer than 3.75 hours but shorter than 7.5 hours, 7.5 hours will be paid.
- If a driver-guide is required to clean and prepare the vehicle, additional pay will be provided for hours exceeding 11 hours, or this must be agreed upon in advance.
- Half per diem payments apply according to Ferðakostnaðarnefnd ríkisins if a guide is provided with inadequate accommodation (e.g., sleeping bag facilities) instead of standard hotel accommodations.
- If a guide incurs meal expenses, the tour operator must reimburse them promptly upon presentation of receipts. (Guides are advised to keep copies of their receipts for assistance if needed to claim costs.)
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The holiday accrual period runs from May 1 to April 30 each year, and the official summer holiday period is from May 2 to September 15.
The timing of holidays is subject to agreement with the employer and should, as far as possible, accommodate the wishes of employees, taking into account the needs of the business. The employer must notify employees as early as possible—and no later than one month before the holiday begins—when the holiday is to start. For that reason, it is good practice for employees to submit their holiday requests in a timely manner.
Increased Holiday Entitlement
As of May 1, 2024, accrued holiday rights for the period May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025 for leave taken in the summer of 2025 are as follows:
Minimum holiday is 24 working days, with holiday pay amounting to 10.17% of total wages.
- A tourist guide with 8 years of experience or 5 years at the same company is entitled to 27 days of holiday, and holiday pay of 11.59%.
- A tourist guide with 12 years of experience or 10 years at the same company is entitled to 30 days of holiday, and holiday pay of 13.04%.
1,650 working hours is considered equivalent to one year of experience under this definition. All hours worked in guiding are counted as working hours in this context.
As of May 1, 2025, accrued holiday rights for the period May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026 for leave taken in the summer of 2026 are as follows:
- Minimum holiday is 24 working days, with holiday pay amounting to 10.17% of total wages.
- A tourist guide with 5 years of experience is entitled to 27 days of holiday, and holiday pay of 11.59%.
- A tourist guide with 10 years of experience is entitled to 30 days of holiday, and holiday pay of 13.04%.
1,650 working hours is considered equivalent to one year of experience under this definition. All hours worked in guiding are counted as working hours in this context.
Employers may request that employees submit a certificate of employment to verify their work experience.
Taking Holidays Outside the Official Holiday Period
Tourist guides on permanent contracts who, at the employer’s request, are not granted at least 14 days of holiday during the period from April 1 to September 30 each year, are entitled to a 25% extension of the portion of holiday taken outside the statutory period—or equivalent financial compensation.
Note: This provision does not apply to freelance or project-based tourist guides.Illness During Holidays
If an employee becomes seriously ill while on holiday and is unable to enjoy the holiday as intended, they must notify the employer on the first day of illness in a verifiable manner. If the employee fulfills this requirement, the illness lasts more than three consecutive days, and the employee informs the employer during that period of which doctor is treating them or will issue a medical certificate, they are entitled to replacement holiday for the proven period of illness.
In such cases, the employee must always provide a medical certificate to verify the illness. The employer has the right to request a doctor’s visit to the employee during their illness while on holiday.
The replacement holiday shall be granted by mutual agreement.The above provisions apply to illness occurring within Iceland, in EEA countries, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The same rules apply in the case of accidents during holidays.