Julia Filippova moved from Russia to Norway during the pandemic, to be with her husband. The interior designer had learned enough English to stay fluent in the Norwegian labor market, and sent a job application to NPG – one of Norway’s largest event and trade fair players. She received positive feedback from him who was potentially going to be her boss. news has seen documentation that confirms Filippova’s story. The e-mails are based on the correspondence between her and the design manager at NPG, but have been translated into Norwegian. When she was called in for a job interview, she was overjoyed. It is not easy to get a job as an interior designer, and many about the few positions that are advertised, she says. – I was happy! I tried not to think about it, in case I did not get the job. Then I would be disappointed, says Filippova. The interview was canceled Then came the downturn. The job interview was to be in NPG’s offices in Bygdøy allé in Oslo in May. However, Filippova did not get that far. About an hour before the interview, a new email ticked into her inbox. Although the boss was impressed with Filippova’s abilities, the interview was canceled. Because she’s Russian. – I started crying. I was in shock. This is my profession, and it is incredibly important to me, says Filippova. The interior designer with extensive professional experience and education from his industry, now works at a restaurant. But preferably she should do what she is trained to do. – One thing would have been if it was canceled because I’m not good enough. But that was because I’m Russian. And I can not change that. Read NPG’s answer at the bottom of the case. Believes there is a violation of the Discrimination Act Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud Bjørn Erik Thon points out that it is forbidden to discriminate against people on the basis of their ethnic or national origin. – It is rare that we see an employer who so clearly expresses that they do not want to hire someone from a particular country. It is completely unacceptable and in my opinion a clear case of discrimination, he writes in an e-mail to news. Bjørn Erik Thon is an equality and discrimination ombudsman. Photo: Martin Gundersen / news The ombud has received a few inquiries about discrimination against workers with a Russian background in the wake of the war in Ukraine. – It is important to distinguish between individuals with a Russian background, and the position people have about what the Russian state does and the Russian state’s warfare. Individuals from Russia cannot be held responsible for the war. It is very important not to introduce measures that affect Russians in general, says Thon. Partner Henriette Willix at the law firm Sulland. Photo: Advokatfirmaet Sulland Partner Henriette Willix in Advokatfirmaet Sulland also believes that Filippova has been discriminated against. “Canceling a planned job interview on the basis of the employee’s ethnicity is contrary to the Equality and Discrimination Act, as long as the employer cannot prove that the conditions for so – called legal discrimination have been met,” Willix told news. – Appears serious The lawyer believes that these conditions are not met in Filippova’s case: – This appears to be a serious case and it is quite incredible that the employer openly announces his position in such an e-mail to the employee. Filippova recently complained to the Discrimination Tribunal. Director Ashan Nishantha confirms that it, and three other cases, are being processed by them. Design manager Bendik Skilbrei says he apologizes for what has happened. He has refused to be interviewed by news, but responds to an e-mail. – The cancellation of the interview with Julia Filipova took place in a stressful situation, and was communicated in a very unfortunate and incorrect way. I do not stand for discrimination against people based on either nationality, ethnicity, orientation or other individual factors, he writes in the e-mail. Furthermore, Skilbrei claims that the company has zero tolerance for discrimination. – Selection of candidates for work in NPG is always done with the main focus on competence and professional qualifications, he writes.
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– Clear case of discrimination – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
