Several people were required to attend by Nav during Christmas in space – had to watch the Christmas series and play board games
During Christmas, several people have been told to meet at an office. There, Nav pays an event provider for those present to watch the Christmas series and play board games. – The content has no professional depth, say participants.
“Happy space Christmas from Nav, day 1. We’re going to watch a Christmas movie.” This is how Odin Bathen opened Nonstad’s first tweet about the work-preparatory measure he has to go through in space Christmas.
According to Nonstad, the first day consisted of watching three episodes of the series “Christmas Storm”.
The next day they had to come up with board games. According to Nonstad, because they were unable to turn off the lights to watch TV.
The measure is a so-called work preparation measure, he tells Aftenposten. It takes place under the auspices of Nav in Midt-Norge, but is carried out by a contracted service provider. The business has four employees at work to attend to all meetings, according to Nonstad.
– Basically, I have no problems with the fact that it is desirable for us to stand in space for Christmas, there are a lot of other people in this country who are at work these days, he says.
It has problems with, is the way it is done.
According to Nonstad, notice was given one week in advance (Monday 19 December). Furthermore, the content has no professional depth for us participants to learn anything from, he says further.
– If we had had an actual plan and had been notified in a little better time, there would not have been any problem.
Stayed and talked about life
According to Nonstad, the measure falls under “agreed activity that is mandatory to report via registration card.”
– This leads to uncompleted activity if you don’t show up, which in turn leads to no payment of benefits that day, he tells Aftenposten.
Also on Thursday, Nonstad reported on the measure on Twitter. On day three, they were unable to watch the sixth episode of the Christmas series because the employee with login details was not present.
The two participants who had turned up therefore sat and talked about life with the other employees, wrote Nonstad on Twitter.
The messages have been sent by tens of thousands, and have caused many to react.
Among them is Storting representative and financial policy spokesperson for SV, Kari Elisabeth Kaski. “This is such a crazy scheme. We can’t go on like this,” she writes on Twitter.
Will not comment
Annette Munkvik is a department manager at the supplier Prima and responsible for the Christmas activities that receive criticism.
She does not want to comment on this one jobseeker’s experience of the Christmas activities, she says.
– I would like to clarify that we have a professional offer that runs throughout the year. We run jobseeker activities that give jobseekers mastery, motivation and career skills. We provide individual mapping and individual plans are made in collaboration with Nav and the jobseekers, she says.
– We also have social activities as a supplement to jobseeker activities.
This is where Christmas get-togethers and film screenings in the room Christmas come in, she says further.
– But social activities can usually be said no thanks to. This job seeker can’t do that, so it goes beyond the benefits he gets?
– Again, I do not want to comment on what kind of agreement individual jobseekers have with us, says Munkvik.
Nav: Will investigate further
– We will examine in more detail with the supplier what kind of connection this measure was given in relation to the contract we have entered into. I am curious about the big picture here, says May Beate Haugan. She is department director for the service department in Nav Trøndelag.
– We need to know more before we can comment concretely, she adds.
Nav will open a dialogue with the supplier on Friday.
– Are such measures of this type – such as coming and watching a Christmas series in the room Christmas – provided for people to get up and out of the house?
– Nav supervisors and individual activity plans in collaboration with each individual job seeker. The measures must be work-oriented. This means that they are given so that people can get a job or keep the job they have. Each individual has different needs, she asks. – Some need low-threshold measures. Then being able to attend an activity is important in itself.
– Do you understand that it can be perceived as offensive to have to show up at Christmas time to watch a Christmas series?
– I don’t want to say anything about that until we know more about the context in which this happened.
– What kind of control do you have with the offers provided by measure providers?
– We are close with all the suppliers we provide collaborative services from. We meet them regularly, assess measures and ensure that services are provided in accordance with the agreement we have, says Haugan.