“Fake people are the worst thing I know” “Very glad some of them are on sick leave. Then I can continue to work with happy people who make a good effort (…) Can help the company up to a level that is nice. I know we can do that without sick leave” “I received sick leave from Frid. Be kind to (NN), she will be somewhat overworked this week” The e-mails were sent to all employees of the company Internsikring AS in Bergen in the evening and at night. The sender is their own boss. In several of the total of 64 e-mails to which they respond, employees on sick leave are hung up in front of all their colleagues. One of those who was hanged was Frid Mellingen Vågenes. – The fact that e-mails are sent out to everyone speculating whether I will return or continue working is terribly unpleasant. – A cowboy as boss They feel that they have tried everything. They have joined a trade union, had several washing-up meetings with the boss and notified the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. But nothing has solved the problems. We rewind a couple of months. Several of the employees then joined a trade union. – The workplace was a bit Texas. We had a cowboy as boss who did what he wanted regardless of whether it was right for the company or employees, says Joakim Johnsen. The boss does not recognize himself in the employees’ descriptions of him. Read his answer at the bottom of the case. The employees wanted more power at work. The hope was that they would get protection agents and an end to what they describe as a “culture of fear”. But after the organization everything only got worse. Joakim Johnsen was elected as shop steward. That led to him being outed in several emails. He himself did not read them until he came to work on Monday morning. – When you have to start a working week by reading such e-mails, it goes without saying, it’s not exactly motivating, he says. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news Only some people get “hello and good morning” Overnight the boss stopped greeting. Several are said to have lost their jobs. Frid Mellingen Vågenes says that there is a big difference between how organized and non-organised people are treated. – Those who have not organized get both “hello” and “good morning”. I don’t think he has greeted me once since we were organized. The two were themselves elected as shop stewards at the workplace. – Sitting in an office and never knowing how you will be attacked next. It takes a toll physically and mentally to be in such a conflict, says union representative Joakim Johnsen. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news And then the e-mails started to come in at night. On New Year’s Eve, more than 20 e-mails were sent to all employees. news has seen all the emails to which the employees have reacted. In the e-mails that have been sent out, he writes, among other things: “If you think that a trade union is crushing me, then it will just be downsizing. So good luck with this” “Everyone who is going to be paid is at work tomorrow” “Do the members have a mortgage on a home, wondering about this” “Everyone can quit. I don’t want to say no to anyone” “But ok my experience I’m left with nonsense and people quit. Will want to see how long Joakim and Frid work here. I think it’s unnecessary to pass the job on to other innocent people” The boss apologized once. Then he wrote that he was drunk and had argued with his wife. – There may be an explanation, but there is no excuse, says Johnsen. Not allowed to take smoking breaks Frid herself received an e-mail at night stating that she was no longer entitled to a smoking break. That she was observed and logged. – Of course I get upset. I don’t think it’s right. All this has meant that I am in worse health than I was a year ago. Johnsen and Vågenes represent all the employees at the workplace. Several employees react strongly to the boss’s behavior. news has also spoken to a former employee who chose to quit because of inappropriate text messages from the boss after working hours. The boss does not recognize himself in the employees’ descriptions of him. Read his answer at the bottom of the case. Frid Mellingen Vågenes received e-mails at night where she was suspended, because she was on sick leave. She says that her health has deteriorated over the past year due to the level of conflict at work. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news – Some of the grossest things we have seen Regional Secretary Robin Knutsen of the trade union Handel og Kontor describes the employer as threatening and harassing. – This is one of the rudest things we have seen coming from an employer. He attacks individuals and discloses personal information to everyone in the company. Knutsen says that many employers are skeptical about organisation. But that many people turn around when they understand that it is in the best interest of the company. – But here we have an employer who has ruled the company with an iron fist without having been contradicted on anything. When he first meets opposition, things have gone a little crazy. Employees believe that the solution is for the boss to step down as day-to-day manager of the company. Joakim Johnsen calls his colleagues “nice and clever people”. – I don’t want my colleagues and I to lose our jobs, he says. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news Listen to the radio story here: Demands that the boss resign He believes that an ordinary employee would have been dismissed on the day for similar actions. But because the boss is both the day-to-day manager and the majority owner of the company, their scope for action is small. The union has had several meetings with the boss. Nevertheless, new e-mails have arrived with content they reacted to. The employees have also notified the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority about the conditions at the workplace, without them having intervened. – The employees are demanding that he resign as day-to-day manager of the company. They don’t see a way forward with him behind the wheel. If he does not resign, we are considering going to civil action against him. – We want him to be held financially responsible for harassing and bullying them, says Knutsen. – Why can’t the employees just quit the company? – The employees enjoy socializing with each other and do not want to destroy their own workplace. He goes on to point out that if the employees quit their jobs themselves, they will be quarantined on unemployment benefits from Nav for 18 weeks. – Few of us can afford it financially. Employees who resign themselves risk exclusion from Nav. They may end up in a situation where they have to sell assets such as houses and cars, says Knutsen. Regional secretary Robin Knutsen of the trade union Handel og Kontor says that this is one of the rudest things he has ever seen coming from an employer. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news The boss: – Doesn’t recognize me news has tried to get the boss of Internsikring AS to respond to the criticism and descriptions of him as an employer. He did not want to be interviewed. But gives the following statement: “I apologize that I have behaved unacceptably towards my colleagues in certain situations. I have now learned from this. In order to make ourselves even better able to follow the rules of the game in working life in the future, we have now chosen to enter into a collective agreement with Handel og Kontor. We look forward to getting the laid-off person back to work. Otherwise, I do not recognize myself in the descriptions that appear in news’s presentation”.
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The boss sent a flurry of e-mails and criticized employees on sick leave – news Vestland
