Several Norwegian companies want their employees to spend more time with colleagues and show up at work, while others remain flexible and still allow their employees to work from home on a regular basis. Home office fans think rigid rules aren’t a good idea for “smart” adults.
DNB, Norway’s biggest bank, is among those opting for stricter rules and calling on their employees to show up at the main office more often. Other large employers are considering the same, reports newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN). Instead of allowing employees to work two regular days a week from home offices, DNB workers are now being asked to check with their bosses whether that’s OK.
The home office trend took off during the pandemic, when quarantine rules forced employees to work from home. Four years later, many still are, and concerns have risen that it’s hurting team spirit and difficult for bosses to monitor output. A survey conducted by employers’ organization NHO indicates 40 percent of employers want less home office time.
Others think that’s old-fashioned, and that home offices boost efficiency. Insurance firm Storebrand is among companies maintaining flexibility. “We have smart people who handle flexibility in a responsible manner,” Storebrand’s personnel director Tove Selnes told DN.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
