1. General provisions
1.1. Applicable rules
UiO complies with the Regulations relating to work which is carried out in employees’ homes (lovdata.no) and other appurtenant state regulations, legislation and provisions relating to remote work.
The Regulations relating to work which is carried out in employees’ homes (NO) only apply to work in an employee’s ‘own home’ and not other types of remote work, such as work from a cabin, on a train on the way to work, or on a business trip, etc.
The Regulations relating to work which is carried out in employees’ homes (NO) do not provide an exhaustive regulation of all circumstances relating to working from home, nor do they regulate the right to demand or impose working from home.
1.2. Introduction
In principle, the premises of the workplace shall serve as the employee’s main workplace. This applies to technical-administrative employees, academic employees and other employees with particularly independent positions, but adapted according to the needs of these groups of employees.
As a personnel policy measure and according to certain criteria, UiO now allows employees to work remotely. In cases where remote work may be relevant, employees may work remotely according to agreement with their immediate HR manager. This applies during normal situations and during a pandemic or other unforeseen events which require temporary adaptation of one’s work situation.
When assessing whether remote work can/should be implemented, both the organisation’s needs and the employee’s needs will have to be taken into consideration by the immediate HR manager. The employee’s position and duties will also play an important role in the assessments of whether remote work can be granted. For example, some employee groups at UiO have duties that cannot be fulfilled when working remotely.
1.3. Definition of remote work
Remote work means work performed by an employee for their employer at a location other than the organisation’s, e.g. in the employee’s own home.
Remote work is in principle a voluntary arrangement that requires agreement between the employee and their immediate HR manager. During a pandemic or other unforeseen events requiring temporary adaptation of one’s work situation, the applicable guidance/guidelines prepared by UiO for the emergency situation will provide more details about the implementation of any remote work.
1.4. Remote work abroad
The general rule regarding employment at UiO is that the premises of the workplace shall serve as the employee’s main workplace.
Exceptionally and in special cases, employees and contractors may be required to conduct work outside Norway. Certain positions sometimes require an employee to conduct all or part of their work abroad.
When an employee must work remotely abroad, the consequences this will have for the unit and UiO as an employer must be assessed. As an employer, UiO must assess and clarify the obligations it has to authorities in individual countries so that employees are safeguarded with regard to tax, social security and health insurance in the respective country. Contracts must also be entered into that describe UiO’s employer responsibilities, including follow-up of personnel, and safeguarding the physical and psychosocial working environment, etc.
1.5. Discussion with employee representatives
In the event of a public authority requiring or recommending employees to work from home, written information may be provided to employees instead of a written contract. Such information is provided in writing after discussion with employee representatives at UiO, cf. Section 2 of the Regulations relating to work which is carried out in employees’ homes (lovdata.no) and Section 18 of the Basic Agreement (regjeringen.no).
1.6. Employee groups covered by the guidelines
These guidelines apply to technical-administrative employees, academic employees and other employees with particularly independent positions. Adaptations according to the needs of these groups of employees must be considered.
Safeguarding HSE, the physical and psychosocial working environment and insurance apply to all groups of employees.
1.7. Written contract
- A period of working from home that does not have a short duration and is not of a sporadic nature requires a written contract. A written contract is required when employees must permanently work from home at least 1 day per week. The purpose of a written contract is to safeguard employees’ rights.
- Employees who are required to work from home during a pandemic or other unforeseen events which require temporary adaptation of their work situation. Cf. Section 1.5
- A written contract is required when employees only work from home, even if the work is of a short duration or sporadic in nature.
In order to ensure equal practice at the faculties and museums, the immediate HR manager raises the matter with their manager before an contract is entered into between the HR manager and the employee.
1.8. Criteria and conditions for remote work
UiO complies with the physical and psychosocial working environment requirements stipulated in the Working Environment Act (lovdata.no) and the Regulations relating to work which is carried out in employees’ homes (lovdata.no). Follow-up of employees in accordance with UiO’s personnel policy also applies to remote work.
a. Fulfilling work duties through remote work
Employees must have work duties that can be fulfilled through remote work.
b. Clarification of needs
Immediate HR managers and employees must discuss the organisation’s needs and the employee’s needs. Based on this discussion, they must then clarify in detail the relevant number of days per week during which remote work will be carried out. Good solutions must be facilitated for the organisation, the HR manager and the employee.
c. Working hours
The provisions on working hours must be complied with and are the same for both the main workplace and when working from home. For academic employees, the provisions stipulated in Working hours for academic employees apply. An employee’s employment contract and other statutory legislation and agreements shall apply as usual to anyone carrying out remote work.
d. Individual remote work contract
Employees who are subject to Section 1.7 of these guidelines must enter into an individual remote work contract (word), cf. sections 14-5, 14-8 of the Working Environment Act (lovdata.no) and the Regulations relating to work which is carried out in employees’ homes (lovdata.no).
This contract regulates the remote working relationships between employees and UiO. Individual remote work contracts will serve as supplements to employment contracts, and shall not interfere with an employee’s other terms and conditions or ordinary employment conditions.
e. Criteria and terms/conditions for remote work during a pandemic or other unforeseen events which require temporary adaptation of one’s work situation
During pandemics, UiO complies with the applicable provisions and recommendations issued by the health authorities.
Criteria and terms/conditions for remote work which apply in a normal situation also apply during a pandemic or other unforeseen events which require temporary adaptation of one’s
work situation. However, specific individual assessments and adaptations must be made based on the situation concerned.
2. Allocation of IT equipment and e-coms services for remote work
The following guidelines apply regarding the allocation of IT equipment and/or e-coms services:
- Guidelines on the allocation and use of electronics communications services at the UiO (Norwegian)
- Chapter 10.2 of The Personnel Handbook for State Employees on Electronic Communications Services (lovdata.no) (Norwegian)
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For reimbursement of communication expenses, Reimbursement of communication expenses (NO) applies
3 Procurement
When undertaking procurement and making purchases, the normal rules and procedures relating to procurement and purchases apply.
4 Information security
The applicable security regulations relating to the use of IT equipment at UiO must also be complied with when working from home. Any storage of documents and other information must take place in accordance with the applicable rules on data protection (lovdata.no) and confidentiality (lovdata.no).
5 Implementation
These guidelines will be implemented with effect from 01.01.2024.