After passing on the mayor’s club, Arnstein Menes was to return to his job at the University of Western Norway. There he had been on leave to be mayor in Sogndal. There were strong reactions among several local politicians when news recently revealed that Menes himself had asked his employer to extend his leave by two months, in the same period that he asked for severance pay from the municipality. The resigned mayor did not tell Sogndal municipality that he had a job to go to already on 1 November when he applied for back pay until the new year. The board decided today to take the last two months of back pay from the former mayor. The gross salary for the two months is approximately NOK 160,000. – It is completely natural to change a decision when new information comes to light afterwards, says current mayor of the municipality, Stig Ove Ølmheim. Mayor Stig Ove Ølmheim believes it is perfectly natural to go back on the decision when new information comes to light. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news When the politicians decided to give Menes back pay in October, the outgoing mayor had already applied to his employer for leave for the rest of the year. Menes had previously been on leave until 31 October, and wrote in the application for back pay that the employer “needed time to think about it”. But the politicians thought he had no job to go to, and decided to give him money for the rest of the year. The next day he was granted leave for the rest of the year from his job at the University. – We were not aware of this information when we discussed the decision last time, says Ølmheim. Both the party Raudt and Frp have asked that the matter be taken up in the control committee. Rita Navarsete in the FRP is satisfied that the municipality has now withdrawn the award of back pay. – The case has been well illuminated and I feel satisfied with what has come to light, she says. Important dates in the case of Menes’ back pay news has seen several documents in connection with the case of the mayor’s back pay. Briefly, these are the important dates: 20 September: Due to the change of mayor in Sogndal after the election, Menes applies for back pay for six to 12 weeks from 6 October. The email will be replied to with a copy to both the University College and the director of the municipality. 5 October: Stig Ove Ølmheim is elected as the new mayor. 8 October: The application will also be forwarded to the new mayor in Sogndal. 17 October: It is believed that the University of Western Norway is applying for extended leave due to “a high workload over a long period of time and a desire to spend more time with family until the New Year”. 19 October: The chairmanship in Sogndal processes the application and decides to give Menes back pay until 1 January. The back pay will be stopped if new employment conditions arise. 20 October: The application for extended leave is granted from the University of Western Norway. – Could have been more clear The former mayor was present during the meeting of the chairmanship of the municipality where it was to be decided whether he was entitled to the back pay. Menes did not participate in the handling of the case. – Have you done what you can to obtain all the information in the case? – I could have been more clear about the leave period I had at the university. But all the information is correct, so I have not given any wrong information, says Arnstein Menes about the application for back pay. On 25 October, the municipality called for documentation that his employer did not have a position that he could return to, but only received an answer last weekend. – Why did it take so long to answer it? – I didn’t have the documentation then. – This could have been handled in a different way, they could have called me and asked, Menes believes. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news Will not comment In his application for back pay, Menes wrote that the employer Høgskulen på Vestlandet needed time to think about himself, and that the agreement with the university was that “I will return to work at HVL on December 1 at the earliest and at the latest on 1 . January 2024.” Vice Chancellor for Education Anne-Grethe Naustdal at Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL) will not comment on the case, as it is a personnel matter. On a general basis, she says that “An employee has the right to leave for participation in political positions. After the post has ended, the employee has the right to return. It is enshrined in the legislation” – We have received and granted a leave application from one of our employees and followed ordinary routines for such case handling. We naturally take our responsibility as an employer, concludes Naustdal. The post-retirement was one of the items for the meeting of the board of directors in the municipality. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news
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Will be suspended for two months with back pay – news Vestland
