Woman dismissed after reporting sexual harassment in the workplace – news Sápmi

The case in summary A woman who worked in the Tanavassdragets fiskeforvaltning (TF) reported sexual harassment from a colleague who is also a board member of the TF. On the same day that the notification was received, the woman was dismissed via e-mail by acting director Benn Larsen. The woman’s lawyer, Gøran Møller Christensen, believes the dismissal can be seen as retaliation and criticizes TF for disrespecting the Working Environment Act’s rules on reporting sexual harassment. Chairman of TF, Kjell Olav Guttorm, has regretted the handling of the case. He says this has not happened in line with the Working Environment Act. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s ​​journalists before publication. Loga ášši sámegillii. The woman was employed by the Tanavassdragets fish management (TF). Now she is on sick leave as a result of the dismissal and notification. The man about whom she reported worked with her on fieldwork. The person is also a member of the board of TF. Documents that news has had access to show that the whistleblower received the dismissal by e-mail late in the evening on Wednesday 31 July. On the same day, a colleague of the woman had told acting director Benn Larsen about what the woman had experienced. The notice of termination was signed by Larsen, and that it applied “from today’s date”. Copies also went to the chairman and deputy chairman. During the last four years, the state has financed TF with NOK 16 million. Dan Robert Larsen Norway’s most important salmon river The Tana river is Norway’s largest salmon river, with a total of 1100 km of salmon-bearing waterways. Historically speaking, it is the salmon in the river that is the very reason why people settled in the Tanadalen. The large amount of salmon has led to a distinctive culture in the Tanadalen , where the salmon is at the center. Ksenia Novikova / news Fewer salmon Four years ago, the Ministry of Climate and the Environment decided that the Tanaelva should be closed to all salmon fishing. Many fear that the river Sami culture will die out as a result of not being able to practice the culture in the closed river. It was because over several years counts had shown that there were only fewer and fewer salmon in the river. Several opinions There are many opinions about what is the reason for the decline. Climate change, overfishing, farmed salmon in the lake, seals and other predators are highlighted as possible reasons for the decline in the number of salmon. Allan Klo What does salmon management do when the river is closed? The Tana River’s fish management supervises the river. That is to say, they employ people who make sure that the fishing rules are observed, and that salmon is not poached. Snapchat picture According to sources in TF – who do not want to come forward because they fear possible reactions against them – it has been known since last year that the woman has felt uncomfortable with the man. news knows that the woman showed a Snapchat picture that she had received from the man to a colleague. “The most inappropriate thing I’ve seen on snap is a photo where he’s lying on the sofa in just his boxers where I can see from his stomach down, and you can clearly see the bullet in his boxers.””The text was innocent enough something like “heavy Sunday” or something such. It was this summer once.” The woman writes this in a note to her lawyer. She also told the colleague that she experienced unwanted approaches in connection with fieldwork. It was after this conversation that the colleague notified the employer. Chairman: – It went very wrong Chairman Kjell Olav Guttorm (36) does not hesitate to regret how TF has handled the notification case. Kjell Olav Guttorm in TF took over personnel responsibility after the notification came. Photo: Håkon Mudenia / news – We are very sorry for this. It went very wrong, and has not happened in line with the Working Environment Act. There are also a couple of other requirements TF has not followed either, he says to news. Guttorm took over personnel responsibility from Benn Larsen about 14 days after the notification came and the notice of dismissal was sent to the employee. – When a notification comes in, shouldn’t the general manager have reacted in a different way than sending a notice of resignation soon after? – Yes, and that is regrettable. It went very wrong. – When there is a serious warning and at the same time a dismissal is sent, then of course it is completely wrong, replies the chairman. He also says that he has apologized to the woman. news has asked Acting Director Benn Larsen (69) in TF about why he sent in his resignation just hours after he had been made aware of the notification. Larsen does not answer any of the questions news has asked, and refers to the interview with the chairman. Chairman Guttorm does not answer the question about why it took two weeks before he dealt with the notification case. Benn Larsen was chairman of TF in the previous period. In April this year, he was elected as a board member. He is now Acting Director. Photo: Torgeir Varsi / news – Is not a person who harasses someone news has spoken to the man the alert is about. He says that the chairman contacted him in August, and then he was informed that a notice had been issued. – Did he say anything about sexual harassment? – As I understood it, that’s what he meant, the man replies. He is completely uncomprehending about the claim that he allegedly harassed someone. He cannot understand that he should have sent a message or picture to someone that would give rise to a notification case. – I am not a person who harasses anyone, says the man. – Retaliation Lawyer Gøran Møller Christiansen represents the woman. – She reacted with shock, and contacted the management and explained that she thought this was completely inappropriate, he says to news. Lawyer Gøran Møller Christiansen works for free for the woman who has reported sexual harassment. Christiansen was previously a partner at Elden law firm for 14 years. Photo: Eilif Aslaksen / news “Do we have women? No, we must not”. Only one woman has been given a place on the TF board. The lawyer believes that dismissal after notification is the most serious abuse an employer can do to an employee. He points out that the rules of the Working Environment Act are both clear and strict when it comes to reports of sexual harassment. – The notice was taken to the management, then she is entitled to protection. Being fired by a collective management is very serious. She is retaliated with punishment for reporting objectionable circumstances, he says. Christiansen says that the woman is sick and very unwell. He says that the TF management has not answered questions he has asked for answers to, among other things, about occupational health services, HSE and shop stewards. – The retaliation against my client just continues, he says. He says that the law is clear that the employer himself must prove that there has been no retaliation. – What they do is bullying and ostracism. Someone must dare to stand up to the guys in TF. They are not above the law. I don’t understand that they dare, he says. Chairman Kjell Olav Guttorm responds as follows to the question of whether the dismissal of the whistleblower can be described as retaliation: – Again, I just have to apologize that it went so wrong. I expect the occupational health service that we have engaged to investigate this. Lawyer Christiansen believes that time has run out from TF, and points out that the notification came three months ago. – I will make the notice public, everything else has been tried. The general public must know what is going on in TF. They are trying to scare. My client has told me that she is afraid of what these people might do to further revenge themselves. My answer to TF is to work for free for the girl, he says. He also reacts to the fact that the man to whom the notice applies has not been suspended. – I believe the TF management is protecting the person in question by allowing him to continue in his work, says the lawyer. Berit Anita reported the harassment on Facebook. After that it got worse. Tanaelva The Tanavassdraget is often referred to as Europe’s most important salmon river. TF has the task of making fishing regulations, selling fishing licenses, and making sure that no one fishes illegally in Tana. This is to protect the endangered Tanalaksen. How TFTF works consists of a board and an administration. There are nine fishermen on the board. Five of them are net fishermen, while four are pole fishermen. The net fishermen themselves choose which five they want to represent them on the TF board, while Tana and Karasjok municipalities elect two pole fishermen each to sit on the board. Who works in TF? The board members are not employed by TF, but they decide how the administration should work. The director, biologists and supervisors are employed in the administration. They are the ones who carry out the board’s provisions. Thus, the board is the employer, and people in the administration are employees. Got advice from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority Chairman Kjell Olav Guttorm says that they contacted the occupational health service Hemis AS on advice from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. He says Hemis AS will investigate and survey the background, where both parties will have the opportunity to talk about the matter. – I have confidence that Hemis can find solutions on how to treat this in a good way, says Guttorm. The woman’s lawyer believes the chairman is not speaking truthfully. – Hemis withdrew from the assignment. It can be documented. Guttorm gave the assignment to Hemis. The mandate was a psychological evaluation of her and thus undermine credibility. They withdrew when I announced that I would bring a specialist in adult psychiatry and some not entirely unknown lawyers to attend the session, he says. General manager of Hemis AS, Asbjørn Førde confirms that they have received the assignment from TF, but does not say whether they still have the assignment. – But I have no other comments, he writes in an e-mail to news. At Tana bridge stands this fishing pole, which has been welded together from the remains of the bridge that was blown up in 1944 by the Germans. Photo: EILIF ASLAKSEN / news The Ministry of Climate and Environment (KLD) has been notified, says the lawyer. – I have done it because TF is a company that is subject to funding from the ministry. They also have a responsibility to follow up what happens. This is required by law for the state to investigate, and they are obliged to do so after receiving notifications, says Møller Christiansen to news. Communications manager Martine Røiseland at KLD. Photo: Ministry of Trade and Fisheries Communications manager Martine Røiseland in KLD replies in an e-mail that the ministry is aware of the notification case. – TF has employer responsibility for its employees, and is obliged to follow up this responsibility in line with the legislation, writes Røiseland to news. Published 21.10.2024, at 16.43



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