Vestby municipality advertised five part-time positions for a total of 66 per cent

The short version

• Vestby municipality is looking for five new skilled workers for a relief unit. The positions make up a total of just over 66 per cent
• According to a new report, over 30,000 workers want to increase their employment rate every year; 20 percent of Norwegian employees work part-time
• Leader of the Trade Union in Vestby municipality, Christoffer Jensen, warns that small part-time positions are challenging
• Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna believes it is a waste of resources to have people in part-time positions

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Vestby municipality is looking for five new skilled workers for a relief unit. Together, these positions amount to just over 66 per cent.

• Three positions of 14.08 percent each
• A position of 13.15 percent
• And a position as resting night watch at 11.27 per cent

These are some examples of many part-time positions in Norway.

20 percent work part-time

A new report shows that over 30,000 employees each year want to increase their employment rate.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion, Oslo Economics has found that 20 percent of all employees in Norway work part-time.

– It is unbearable in the long run to have so many small part-time positions. You have to get better at seeing the operation as a larger whole and avoid these positions, says Christoffer Jensen.

He is a leader at the Trade Union in Vestby municipality.

Such small positions are demanding for the employee, but Jensen believes it also has consequences for the health care they must provide.

– They will never be able to build up sufficient competence to do the best possible job, says Jensen.

Most needed evening and weekend

Councilor Sjur Authen in Vestby, explains that the small vacancy rates are due to the service’s needs and rotation of work every third weekend.

The positions in question have one of the user groups who are in daycare and school during the day. Therefore, it is most needed in the evening and at weekends.

– Staffing must be adjusted accordingly, and the focus is to ensure proper operation and sustainable services, says Authen.

The municipality is continuously working to expand to full-time positions for those who want it. They are also working to accommodate more positions with a higher percentage.

– At this place of employment, for example, four part-time employees have had their job percentages increased from 20-30 to 50-90 over the last few years, says Authen.

Employees who work part-time are also given priority for other positions for which they are qualified.

– Wastes people and resources

Last year, new laws were introduced that state that full-time must be the norm. In addition, part-time employees were given preferential rights to full positions.

This change in the law has contributed to more awareness of part-time employees, according to the report.

– We waste people and resources when someone goes part-time involuntarily. I believe that employers must provide more full-time positions, says Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna.

Brenna acknowledges that there is widespread use of part-time positions, especially in health and care.

– Our aim is that full-time should be the starting point and that part-time employment should be justified, says Brenna.

The health service in Norway lacks health personnel, both in the hospitals and in the municipalities.

The need is only going to increase as the population ages.

One of the proposed solutions is to bring more specialist groups into the health service. As healthcare professionals.

Also read: New health report: – We have to do a lot ourselves to have a good life

In an earlier version of this matter, it was stated under the summary in the “short version” that Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna believes that having people in part-time positions is a “solution” with resources. The correct thing is that Brenna thinks it is a “waste” more of the resources. The error was corrected on 25/03/2024 at 13:56.