Employees of the company Internsikring AS in Bergen have previously told news about several episodes of harassment from their boss. Among other things, he sent out joint e-mails to all employees in the evening and at night, where sick leave was posted. The harassment from the boss got worse after several employees joined a union. Now the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority confirms that they will carry out inspections at the company next week. – The inspection will be carried out on 23/03/2023 based on the media reports that have been, writes section leader Kjersti Marie Gjerd in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in an email to news. – Quick when someone falls from a ladder Several employees in the company have over time alerted the Norwegian Occupational Safety and Health Administration about conditions in the company. Without them having intervened. Trustee Frid Mellingen Vågenes is critical of the fact that it has taken so long. – I think it’s very bad that we had to go to the media and put ourselves to the test, before they intervened, she says. – When someone falls from a ladder, they are immediately on the spot. But it seems that the psychosocial environment is not as important to them. But it is. It is a source of many sick reports. She received e-mails from her boss at night stating that she was no longer allowed to smoke during working hours. That she was observed and logged. In an e-mail sent to all her colleagues, the boss also speculated on her future in the company. She herself notified the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority about the working conditions last autumn. But never got a response from them. She thinks that’s strange. A total of twelve employees in the company must have submitted notifications. Frid Mellingen Vågenes himself notified the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in the autumn. She thinks it is strange that she has not yet received a response to the notice. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news – Not getting the help they should have Regional Secretary Robin Knutsen in Trade and Office is happy that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority is finally getting on board. – I think it is positive that the company is being put in the spotlight. I hope this will improve conditions for the employees and that the general manager will understand the seriousness of the situation, he says. Knutsen claims that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority more often tackles tangible problems, rather than complex working environment matters. – They are overworked. I wish they prioritized these types of issues more often. At least when there are so many employees who report, he says. Regional secretary Robin Knutsen in Trade and Office believes that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority does not prioritize notifications about bullying and harassment. Complex working environment issues are de-prioritised, he says. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news – Don’t recognize us Department director Stig Magnar Løvåg in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority says that they cannot fire the boss. But that they can supervise. Next week they will visit the company. There, they must, among other things, look at whether conditions at the workplace can increase the risk of illness among the employees. – If we uncover a breach of the Working Environment Act, we can order that the conditions be improved, says Løvåg. Due to the duty of confidentiality, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority cannot explain why they have not intervened in the company earlier. He denies that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority more often prioritizes tangible problems than complex working environment issues. – We do not recognize ourselves in that. We read and assess all messages we receive, and we follow up a number of inquiries with supervision concerning psychosocial and organizational matters, including bullying and harassment, he says. The boss: – Don’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 Norwegian Labor Inspectorate turns around and enters the company after the boss sent a flurry of e-mails – news Vestland
