National Reports

NORWAY

27 November 1997
LO/NHO Basic Agreement 98-2001, Supplementary Agreement on Distance Working (Teleworking)

NHO and LO see that more and more Norwegian enterprises are organising the work differently from what has been customary. This trend is accelerating. The principal driving forces include new information and communication technology, changes in the pattern of trading between enterprises, changes in customers requirements, altered and more individualised needs on the part of the employees, and the need for greater skills.

To a greater extent than ever before technology has made it possible to perform the work at a location that geographically is distant from the employers permanent premises. Increasing numbers of employees are choosing this form of work, often working from their own homes. Distance working involves new challenges and opportunities for the employers and employees and the community as a whole. In part it leads to greater flexibility for the individual worker, and greater and altered demands to management and co-operation. To enable the individual enterprise to develop and persue a good personnel policy in this field, it will be necessary to build up awareness and knowledge on the part of employers and employees.

The central organisations recognise the importance of closely following up developments in this field. Competence regarding the organisational challenges and opportunities of this new form of working is imperative for giving members sound advice concerning the manner in which the work can and should be organised LO and NHO therefore undertake to commence systematic collection of information and conduct dialogues with the appropriate professional environments. A group with representatives for the various parties will be appointed to work on the challenges and problems arising from use of distance work.
[download]

1 November 1999
Rapport fra partssammensatt utvalg i kommunal sektor

The report gives a general view of the different aspects of teleworking ,such as definitions, new form of work, flexibility and productivity dimensions, management of teleworking and communicative and organisational challenges. Relations to existing agreements and legislations including The Work Environment Act – international law and recommendations are discussed. Disscussed is also aspects of sickleave-maternity-leave-rehabilitation, different kinds of agreements, tax-and insuranceproblems and training possibilities. The report gives detailed recommendations for agreement text and underline the importance of cooperation and participation in order to ensure good employment practices in teleworking development.
[view (HTML)]

January 2000
Norwegian Civil Service
Report from a joint committee on telework in civil service

According to the basic agreement for civil service sector amendment 5 a joint committee has published a report on "teleworking in the civil service sector"

The report describes the background for the work, a chapter on organisational implications of telework and the different challenges of telework practices, such as: Roles and forms of leadership, communication, motivation and loyalty, skills and competence, computer security, productivity a.s.f.

The report gives detailed guidelines for a individual agreement on telework and includes chapters concerning: Definitions, goals, the extent of agreements, the principle of voluntary individual agreements. A comprehensive list of terms that apply to individual agreements is included.

These are: The nature of the agreement, the relation to collective agreements, trial period, termination of contract, overtime rules, health & safety, the relation to the Work Environment Act, responsibilities and insurance and rules of security.
[download]

1 May 2000
Norwegian Union of Commercial and Office employees, HK and The Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises, HSH
Signed Agreement on Telework

The document is the first signed national agreement on regulations of telework in Norway. It sets the rules for general telework conditions, including work done in the employees home, mobile work or callcenters. The agreement covers about 50.000 employees in the privat commercial and office sector.
Not yet available electronically or translated.