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Nyhet

Freedom of Speech in the Norwegian Labor Market

Nyhet_Arbeidsliv og arbeidsmarked | 28 May 2015

Over the course of the last decade, the freedom of speech among Norwegian employees has strengthened. At the same time, empirical findings indicate
that a large proportion of employees feel that freedom of speech at the workplace is restricted, both formally and informally. Sissel C. Trygstad has wrote an article about this (in Norwegian) in Sosiologisk Tidsskrift nr 1-2, 2015.

There are clear differences between sectors; public sector employees consider their opportunities for speaking out on critical conditions within the company as poor compared to employees in the private sector. Also, Norwegian employees seem to find it acceptable that the employer, in consideration of the reputation and financial situation of the enterprise, restrict employees’ opportunities of reporting serious misconduct to the public. The findings indicate that freedom of speech is weaker than one would
assume given the amendments to § 100 of the Norwegian Constitution as well as the protection of whistleblowers regulated in the Working Environment Act. The Parliamentary Ombudsman has expressed concern about the developments in the public sector. Our findings support such concern. Among politicians, we find a restrictive attitude towards employees that oppose decisions in the municipality they work in. We have also observed the use of employment contracts imposing employer confidentiality in matters that do not normally violate professional secrecy. The restrictions are both formal and informal.
Publisert: 28 May 2015