After a series of revelations in news about notifications and errors in the Norwegian Armed Forces relating to sexual harassment, abuse of power and abuse, the Norwegian Armed Forces commissioned an investigation from the consulting company PwC. A total of 25 people who have been behind objectionable circumstances have been offered severance pay, according to insights news has made based on circumstances mentioned in the investigation report. One of those who was offered severance pay was the sergeant who surreptitiously filmed a female soldier in the shower a number of times. The man recorded 38 videos of Julie Sandanger (25) while she showered at work as a soldier for the Norwegian Armed Forces. He was her closest boss and commander with the rank of sergeant 1st class. Julie Sandanger experienced that her immediate boss filmed her naked in the shower against her will. Photo: PRIVATE Sandanger reported what she had experienced. The man was investigated, but was initially allowed to keep his job. After she told about the case in VG, head of the defense staff Elisabeth Natvig told Dagsnytt 18 that they should look at the case again. Filmed in the shower – was offered a severance package After a few months, it emerged that the Armed Forces still wanted to fire the man. Now news can say that the Norwegian Armed Forces first offered the man a severance package to quit voluntarily. Documents and overviews news has seen show that the man was offered a comprehensive severance package: severance pay for six months Payment of a bonus of over NOK 550,000 – even though the sergeant had not worked for ten years, which is the standard time before a bonus is paid The man refused the offer and the case then went on to the Chief of Defence’s Council, which is a body that, among other things, deals with matters related to dismissal and dismissal cases. They decided that the man should be dismissed. news has been in contact with the man’s trade union. Neither the man nor the union wish to comment on the information. The decision to terminate the employment relationship is based on what news is aware of complained about by the man. The case is being processed by the Ministry of Defence. Dozens of cases It wasn’t just the sergeant who filmed in the shower who was offered a severance package. news has asked for access to an overview of cases where the Norwegian Armed Forces have considered there were grounds for dismissal or dismissal – and yet offered a final agreement. The overview shows that the Norwegian Armed Forces have offered severance agreements, and have paid severance pay to a number of employees who could have been fired. Among other things: 15 employees who had been involved in criminal cases where there were grounds for dismissal/dismissal 4 cases where there were grounds for neglect of duty/breach of duty 2 cases where the person concerned was assessed as unfit for the position Termination agreements in the Armed Forces where there were grounds in order to fire news, ask after PWC had published its report on notifications in the Norwegian Armed Forces regarding access to: “An overview of cases from the last five years (2018-2022) in which the Norwegian Armed Forces have offered a final agreement where it was considered to be grounds for saying up or dismissed” The Norwegian Armed Forces’ personnel and conscription center (FPVS), which is the central body in the Norwegian Armed Forces involved in negotiating termination agreements, gave access to an overview of all termination agreements offered since 2018. The list contained all agreements – also agreements where there were no objectionable conditions, but e.g. downsizing or illness. After dialogue with FPVS, news has removed the basic categories of illness, loss of clearance, redeployment/redundancy and invalid temporary employment. We were then left with 25 cases with the categories criminal case, breach of duty/violation/neglect of duty, unfit for the position/ability to work, lack of qualification, labor conflict and cooperation problems. In 15 of these cases, it was considered that there were grounds for dismissal/dismissal with criminal proceedings as the basis. The fact that offers of final agreements have also been made in cases with objectionable conditions was also a topic in the investigation report from the consultancy company PWC. PWC believed that it could be correct to use termination agreements in an organization such as the Norwegian Armed Forces, but were clearly critical of their use in some types of cases. “Even with clear communication, PwC questions the appropriateness of offering settlement agreements in all types of cases,” wrote the consultants. The PWC report was entitled “There is something new to say”. The report was ordered, among other things, after news’s cases in spring 2022. Photo: Martin Leigland / news They had discovered, among other things, that in some serious cases final agreements had been given. PWC had e.g. found out about the offer of a settlement agreement and bonus to the man who filmed a woman in the shower. They discussed the case and then wrote that it “appears to be an unfortunate practice to offer financial compensation to employees who the Armed Forces have a clear opinion of as having done something extremely reprehensible, and contrary to the Armed Forces’ core values”. news has requested an interview with the head of PWC’s investigation of notification handling in the Norwegian Armed Forces, Gunnar Holm Ringen. PWC does not want to be interviewed and refers to what they wrote in the report. Gunnar Holm Ringen refers to the criticism as formulated in the report they submitted to the defense leadership in November 2022. Photo: Martin Leigland / news In the report they wrote that they feared that final agreements in such cases could send problematic signals. They believed that the consideration of the person leaving the Armed Forces became more important than the consideration of whistleblowers: “For PwC, it appears that the practice of offering employees severance agreements to a large extent is the result of emphasizing a combination of the above-mentioned main considerations and the consideration of re-notified . Reputational considerations, and the consideration of how final agreements appear to the organization and the extent to which the actions have gone beyond, are given little weight in the assessment.” Expert: The Armed Forces should review the practice news has shown the mention of severance packages in the PWC report and the information we have gained access to at the Armed Forces to labor law expert and lawyer Birthe Eriksen. She agrees with PWC that it may be appropriate to use termination agreements in some cases. At the same time, she says this about the signal effect such final packages can have in society – when they are given to people involved in e.g. criminal cases. – The biggest risk is that citizens lose confidence in the defence’s ability to handle serious cases of objectionable circumstances. This in turn can have consequences, for example, for the recruitment of female personnel in particular, says Birthe Eriksen. Employment law attorney Birthe Eriksen believes the practice can create challenges. Photo: Silje Rognsvåg / news Eriksen believes there may be reason to reconsider the cases in which termination agreements with severance pay are offered. – Based on the PwC report and news’s insight, the Norwegian Armed Forces should therefore be open to reviewing their practice to ensure that it is in accordance with current values and relevant regulations, says Eriksen. – Does this also have a cost side – use of public funds in this way? – It is of course relevant to assess the cost side of how conflict and personnel matters are handled – this applies to the entire public sector. That is also why it is important that the Norwegian Armed Forces’ management clearly communicates that there is a continuous focus on evaluating and learning from the practice that is in place at all times, Eriksen replies. The Defense is considering the input from PWC news has requested an interview with both the Defense and the Minister of Defense about the information that comes to light in this case. After several days, the Norwegian Armed Forces have not been able to make an interview. news sent over several written questions on Wednesday. In a written response, they write: – The Norwegian Defense Forces are aware of the criticism in the PWC report. Both the advantages and disadvantages of this practice are addressed here. We are now considering this, as we are also doing with the other points, says spokesperson for the Defense Per Espen Strande in an e-mail. Union leader Torbjørn Bongo believes it is important not to let final agreements become a sleeping bag. Photo: Øyvind Bye Skille / news Trade union leader Torbjørn Bongo of the Norwegian Specialist and Officers’ Association warns the leadership of the Armed Forces against allowing too simple solutions when using termination agreements. – We believe it is necessary for employers to have termination agreements in their toolbox. At the same time, it must not become a sleeping pillow, says Bongo to news. He believes it is important that, in serious cases, it is thought through how to use such instruments. Because it may be important to take other measures. – It is right and important that the Armed Forces can use termination agreements as a tool to resolve cases. At the same time, it is probably important that entering into final agreements does not become a form of sleeping pillow. So that the employer does not address challenges – and that it appears that you are paying your way out of problems, says Bongo. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram has previously asked for an answer from the defense chief. In this case, he has declined an interview with news. Photo: Rodrigo Freitas / NTB Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) has declined to be interviewed about the practice of severance packages in the Armed Forces. His communications manager stated this to news after being asked for an interview: – news’s compilation is completely unsuitable for saying anything about the Armed Forces’ use of termination agreements, as it does not reveal what is the basis for the agreements. It is the Armed Forces that must themselves comment on the use of termination agreements, since it is the Armed Forces that assess and conclude these, writes communications manager Ingrid Dåsnes in the Ministry of Defense in an e-mail to news.
ttn-69
The armed forces gave severance packages to 15 employees who had been involved in criminal cases – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
