– It’s nice to have flexibility and the opportunity for variety. This is what Marte Nubdal, who works as a senior adviser at NTNU, says. She herself has had a lot of home office at times – both during and after the pandemic. – It will be too much of a good thing if it happens all the time, but in principle the home office works well for concentration work. It is a great opportunity to have, she says, who adds that she hopes to be able to use a home office in the future as well. More changes And if we are to believe the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, many employers are now proposing that employees can do just that. But with the new rules that apply from 1 July, employers’ responsibilities are tightened. One of the changes that will take effect is that there will be the same working hours in the home office as in the workplace. – We believe the need for protection is no less for work at home than work from the office. On the contrary, research indicates the opposite, says Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion Marte Mjøs Persen in a press release. Another change is that the employer must take care of the psychosocial work environment also in the home office. In addition, there will be a requirement for a written agreement. According to a report from the Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion, 18 per cent will have this in 2022. Can supervise The fact that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority can start supervising is also one of the changes. This does not mean that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority can suddenly stand at your door. It is the employer’s follow-up of the new rules they can supervise, points out director Trude Vollheim to news. – What we experienced at the beginning of the pandemic was that many – both employees and employers, find it difficult to sit in a home office, says Vollheim. From the home office, which is also a guest room, director Trude Vollheim talks about the new rules for home offices. Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news She adds that this has changed over time. – What we are registering around us now are both employers who want to provide a flexible and voluntary scheme for alternative office solutions, and employees who also see that a flexible solution can be good for them. Changes from 1 July Clarification of when the regulations apply. The regulations do not apply to “short-term or sporadic work” from home. Same working hours as in the office. The same rules for working hours will apply at home offices as at work in the workplace. The employer must take care of the psychosocial work environment. In addition to the workplace, work equipment and indoor environment not to cause an unfortunate physical strain, it is made clear that the employer must take care of the psychosocial work environment also in the home office. This means, among other things, facilitating that everyone in the company has the opportunity for contact and communication with each other. Narrow exception for requirements for written agreement. Everyone with a home office as a permanent arrangement must have a written agreement on a home office. The exception is if the homework is due to orders or recommendations from the authorities. Then, instead of a written agreement, written information can be given to the employees. In such cases, the employer must discuss the information with the shop stewards before giving it. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority can supervise. Arbeidstilsynet is given the authority to supervise the employer’s follow-up of the home office regulations. We cannot supervise private homes, but we can, for example, check whether written agreements have been entered into regarding the use of home offices and whether home offices are included in the employer’s risk assessment of the working environment in the company. Source: Arbeidstilsynet Good with frameworks The proportion of working hours worked from home has fallen from 59 per cent last year, to 37 per cent this year, according to the report from the Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion. It also appears here that 50 per cent of Norwegian employees have the opportunity to work from home. Of these, 53 per cent work from home all day at least weekly. Seven out of ten employees with a home office want to work from home at least one day a week. But few want to work from home every day. Nubdal at NTNU has a great understanding that there will now be new rules for home offices. – It can slip a little in both directions. That it will be a scheme you do not use, but maybe also a scheme you use a little too much, she says. – So I think it might be good to get some framework for it, also to get a vibrant work environment in the workplace. Eight tips for employers Update yourself on the rules. Familiarize yourself with the home office regulations and the changes that will take effect on July 1 and make sure you comply with the requirements. Find a good balance. Discuss with the employees what is a good balance for office work and home office. How many days can or should the employees sit in the home office? Are there any tasks where home office is not suitable? And should you encourage employees to be present in the office on certain weekdays? Make clear agreements. Provide a written agreement on home office. The agreement is in addition to an ordinary employment agreement. The agreement should, among other things, describe the scope of home office and working hours. It should also specify when the employee is to be available to the employer. Stay in touch. Ensure good dialogue with employees both when working from home and in the workplace. Be available digitally. Facilitate good meetings. Provide solutions that ensure that hybrid meetings work well for everyone – both those who are gathered in a meeting room and those who hang on the wall. Make sure that the meeting rooms are technically rigged to be able to connect externally seamlessly. Ensure good ergonomics. Make sure the employees have an ergonomically good workplace at home, preferably with an adjustable work chair, good lighting and a large adjustable computer screen. If the home office is not optimally adapted, relevant measures such as variation in working position, measures for physical activity and more frequent breaks can help prevent stress disorders. Remember movement. Encourage employees to move around the home office, as one would otherwise do by going to and from meetings or to the lunchroom at the workplace. Be aware of. Do you have employees who are reluctant to return to the office? Talk to the employee to find out why they are reluctant. Are there conditions at work that make the person do not want to come back? Or are there conditions at home that make the employee prefer to sit there? Take the duty of care you have as an employer seriously and dare to ask. Source: The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority
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New rules for home offices after revision of the home office regulations – news Trøndelag
