Norway: Proposed Amendments to the Working Environment Act: Clearer Requirements for the Psychosocial Work Environment

The Working Environment Act sets requirements regarding the psychosocial working environment. The Working Environment Act section 4-1 states that “[t]he working environment in the undertaking shall be fully satisfactory when the factors in the working environment that may influence the employees’ physical and mental health and welfare are assessed separately and collectively.”  Furthermore, the Working Environment Act Section 4-3 specifically regulates the requirements for the psychosocial work environment.

The government proposes to clarify the requirement for the psychosocial work environment by introducing a new first paragraph in Section 4-3, stating that work must be organised, planned, and carried out in such a way that the psychosocial work environment factors in the enterprise are fully sound in consideration of employees’ health, safety, and well-being. The government points out that the current provision in Section 4-3 of the Working Environment Act only specifies certain factors related to the psychosocial work environment. The proposed change would mean that Section 4-3 will cover all factors relevant to the psychosocial work environment.

The government further proposes to add a new second paragraph to the provision, specifying several important psychosocial work environment factors that enterprises should focus on. These include:

• Unclear or conflicting demands and expectations
• Emotional demands and strain in work involving people
• Workload and time pressure that result in an imbalance between the work to be performed and the time available
• Support and assistance in the work

The government emphasises that the amendment will highlight that these factors are also part of the legal requirements for a fully satisfactory working environment. The aim of the amendments is to emphasise and clarify that the psychosocial aspect is an important part of a fully satisfactory working environment and should receive the same attention and importance as the physical work environment. The government stresses that the proposal does not entail any substantive change to current law.