Reykjavík Public Health office closed June 1, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Municipal public health authority offices closed for a staff meeting on uncertainty over job security and working conditions.
Municipal public health authority offices will close from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, June 1, for a staff meeting called by the Icelandic Association of Natural Scientists.
The association is holding the meeting for members working at municipal public health authorities to address growing uncertainty about the future of public health oversight, staff positions, and working conditions under legislative changes currently before Alþingi.
The proposed bills would bring sweeping changes to the structure of municipal public health authorities. If passed, the bills would transfer responsibilities currently managed by public health committees and municipal public health authorities to state institutions. Public health authority staff have yet to receive adequate information on how the changes will be implemented, what positions will be created, where they will be located, or how the changes will affect their pay and working conditions.
Municipal public health authorities perform legally mandated oversight of food safety, hygiene, pollution prevention, and other matters affecting public safety, health, and the environment. Staff in these specialized roles have built up significant professional expertise, experience, and local knowledge over many years.
Through this meeting, the Icelandic Association of Natural Scientists aims to give staff an opportunity to review the current situation, their rights, and the uncertainties they face. Authorities must also clearly inform municipal public health authority staff how the changes will be implemented and what impact they will have on jobs, pay, work locations, and the future of specialist roles across the country.
We apologize for any inconvenience this temporary closure may cause. We will address urgent matters as promptly as possible once offices reopen.
For more information, contact the directors of the public health districts — see: https://shi.is/
On behalf of the board of the Association of Public Health Districts in Iceland
Ásmundur E. Þorkelsson, chair.