Free speech in the work place
How easy or hard is it to express opinions at work? And how do employers handle it when employees take advantage of their freedom of expression or become whistle blowers?
As part of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s monitoring project on the status of freedom of expression in Norway, Fafo carried out a research project entitled “Free speech and whistleblowing seen from an employer’s perspective”, which is scheduled for completion in 2022.
In the autumn of 2021, a survey was conducted among Norwegian employees. They were asked how much latitude employees should have to express opinions publicly, and how much latitude they actually have. The results of the survey have been summarised in this report, which can be found here on the Fafo website.
On 30 November 2021, along with Fafo, Fritt Ord organised a presentation of the survey’s findings, followed by a panel discusion featuring Vidar Strømme, director of the Norwegian Institute for Human Rights, Kurt Weltzien, attorney at the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, and Solfrid Vaage Haukaas, attorney for the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, in addition to the chair of the Freedom of Expression Commission, Kjersti Løken Stavrum, and Tormod Tingstad, who was in the middle of the the worst case of corruption in the history of Norway and is currently a defence attorney in cases involving white collar crime.
A recording of the event is available for viewing here (in Norwegian only):
