Skip to main content

Kristin Alsos

Researcher

Current projects

Extending collective bargaining coverage - comparing European models
The project will provide an overview of various European countries' models for expanding collective bargaining coverage and minimum wage floors.
Status update on the use and scope of digital platform work
The purpose of the project is to enhance knowledge about the use, scope, actors, and nature of platform work in the Norwegian labor market, and how this has evolved since 2017.
Evaluation of new regulations on hiring of temporary agency workers

The Government has proposed new regulations for hiring of temporary agency workers. The aim of this project is to map the effects of the new provisions and assess the consequences of the changes for employees, businesses, the labour market and society at large. The project is carried out in collaboration between Fafo and Samfunnsøkonomisk analyse.

Better enforcement through improved Nordic–Baltic cooperation

This project will firstly, identify best practices and, secondly, contribute to the effort to improve transnational cooperation on the enforcement of posted work. Moreover, it will bring important knowledge to the work of the European Labour Authority (ELA) in supporting national authorities when it comes to enforcement. Our consortium consists of Fafo and the Labour Inspectorates in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Estland, Lithuania and Finland. During our activities, we will also engage national social partners. Our method is a mix of document analysis, interviews and workshops. Through seminars, we will disseminate knowledge about the main objectives of this project.

Workers' voice and the right to manage - the case of whistleblowing in a comparative context
For the employers and businesses, it can be decisive that workers blow the whistle about wrongdoing to avoid dangerous situations and accidents. Still, it can be risky for workers to raise their concerns or blow the whistle. Managers and owners may have strong interests in suppressing the disclosure of information about wrongdoing.
National Correspondent EUROFOUND

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EUROFOUND) is a triparty EU Agency that provides knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies. The work is done with the assistance of national correspondents in the EU Member States, and the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion has granted Fafo the task as the national correspondent of Norway,

The Nordic labour Market Model at company level during the pandemic

Since March 2020, both the central and local social dialogue has been put on its’ worst stress test ever.

Collective organizations and institutions in the Norwegian labour market

The industrial actors and institutions are key elements in the Norwegian labour market model. Previous research has shown that these institutions are solid, however, the unionization rate and the collective bargaining coverage in the private sector are decreasing.

Collective organisations, support and sustainability

The project will provide knowledge on structural reasons why employers and workers join collective organisations and why they do or not reach collective argeements. Colossus also targets policies and strategies to sustain collective organisations. Finally, Colossus studies the implementation of collective organisations and argeements.

The Impact of Digitalization on Work and Labour Markets in the Nordics and the U.S.

In cooperation with the University of Gothenburg, Michigan State University, and MIT, we will examine ongoing restructuring processes related to digitalization of work in Norway, Sweden and the U.S, the effects on labour market institutions and vice versa.

Fafo publications

Articles and book chapters

Other publications

Completed projects

Comparing Labour Market Enforcement systems across countries

The aim of the project is to extend the understanding of what a more effective UK labour market enforcement system might look like by learning from other countries’ labour market enforcement landscapes and outcomes (both the good and the bad). This will be done by comparing different national systems.

Increasing capacity of Trade Unions in the Czech Republic

The aim of the project is to contribute to improved social dialogue and tripartite cooperation in the Czech Republic. Fafo's role in the project will be to contribute with experience from how Norwegian trade unions adapt to new challenges and how they work to recruit new members.

Welfare benefits - security under the law for persons with combined income

In this project, we will investigate how NAV ensures predictability and equal treatment for service users in more marginal areas of the legal framework. We will do this by using decisions on sickness benefit, nursing benefits and parental benefits for people who combine income as workers, freelancers and self-employed. The purpose is to shed light on the challenges that arise for supervisors and case officers in NAV in the process from the user's first contact with NAV until a final decision is made.

Evaluation of the statutory regulation of threee-shift rotas

The project will evaluate the regulation three-shift rotas as regulated in the Working Environment Act § 10-4 (6).

Social security for self-employed

This project aims to bring forward new knowledge on social security schemes for solo self-employed, whether solo self-employ should be entitled to income security and if so, how such a scheeme could look like.

Political trends towards 2035

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) has asked for an analysis of possible political trends up to 2035, and the consequences for public administration. One challenge in the years to come is how to maintain a sustainable welfare state.

Employers and collective agreements

In this project, we will examine employers' attitudes towards, and motivation for organizing in employers' associations and entering into collective agreements. Among other things, we will investigate whether there are systematic differences between companies with and without collective agreements and organized and unorganized companies.

Workers' participation and co-determination rights
How is workers participation and co-determination rights practiced in the Norwegian working life? And how do social partners assess this practice? These are central questions in this project undertaken on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Flexible forms of employment

In this project Fafo is to deliver a report to the Czech research institute RILSA on flexible forms of employment in Norway. This report will be part of a comparative report on this issue to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Getting and staying together: 100 years of social dialogue and tripartism in Norway

Throughout Norway’s history, it has used social dialogue and tripartism to achieve better social and economic outcomes that benefit society as a whole. In this project we will study this in a historical context as well as look to the future of social dialogue. This project will end out in a report to the ILO 100 anniversary in the spring of 2019.

Compliance to regulations on temporary employment and labour hire

The last couple of years have seen increasing attention to a variety of challenges and issues pertaining to temporary employment and labour hire.

More equal terms for salary, employment and pension across public and private providers in child welfare
More equal terms for salary, employment and pension across public and private providers in child welfare: How can it be achieved and what are the consequences?
The future of work

Major changes in technology, economic contexts, workforces, and the institutions of work have come in ebb and flow since well before the first industrial revolution in the 18th century. Yet, many argue that the changes we are currently facing are different, and that the rise of digitalized production will entirely transform our ways and views of work.

Special wage agreements in the municipal sector

The aim of the project is to map the amount of local special wage agreements in the municipal sector and what they regulate. The emphazise is put on agreements that are not established on the basis of central special wage agreements.

Posting of workers: enhancing administrative cooperatation and access to information

Worker protection regulation for posted workers in the EU is seriously inadequate.

Actors in the sharing economy

This project aims to identify and analyze players in sharing economy in Norway, and will focus particularly on the services which involves provision of labour.

Likebehandling ved utleie av arbeidstakere

Legislation that aims to ensure equal treatment for temporary agency workers came into force in Norway in 2013. Fafo will on behalf of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs find out whether these regulations are complied with. The project aims to look into how the regulations are understood and put into practice, whether companies try to bypass the regulations, how the regulations are enforced and whether new measures are required.

Solidaransvar for lønn

Experiences with joint and several liabilities as measures to enforce general applicable agreements


As of 1 January 2010 joint liability for salaries, etc. was introduced in areas where collective agreements have been made generally applicable. The purpose of this project is to evaluate this scheme. Key issues will be the extent of cases in which the joint liability has been applied, how these issues have evolved, the actors’ experiences with and economic consequences of the scheme. We will also examine whether shop stewards perceive to have the necessary knowledge and resources to assist union members.