7 out of 10 work differently from before the virus

7 out of 10 Norwegians state that they work in a different way now to previously, according to a new survey of Norwegian workers after the Coronavirus virus came along.

Whilst barely a third – 31 percent – have got less to do, 36 percent say they have more to do than before.

– Most of those with higher education and a high income, state that they have got more work to do, says researcher Mari Holm Ingelsrud at the Institute of Occupational Research (AFI) in the Oslo Met .

At the opposite end of the scale, amongst people with lower education and income, we find those who have got less to do.

The differences become clearer
AFI is behind the investigation, which states that the Corona crisis has had a negative effect on both the economy and the job situation for many workers.

One in six workers state that they have either been laid off, lost income, or that they have experienced both. This often affects people who do not have a higher education, and more often people with an income lower than the median income.

– The survey reflects differences that are common in the working world, but that are being made clearer now, says Ingelsrud.

Providers are laid off
11 per cent of those who responded to the survey state that they have been laid off, while 10 per cent have lost their income. 16 per cent have reduced working hours.

It is the workers between 30 and 44 who are most often laid off, many with dependents.

– This is probably because many of them work in vulnerable industries where many companies have had to close, says Ingelsrud, citing the restaurant industry and tourism as examples.

Home office for the resourceful
The infection control rules have required us to work differently, but the claim that “everyone” sits in their ‘home office’ is a truth with strong modifications, show the answers in the Oslo Met survey .

36 percent state that they are required to work from home. Most of them are among those with higher education and a high income. As many as 73 percent of this group state that they are required to work from home.

– These people often have jobs that are suitable for working from home, and they have employers who can impose upon them to run a ‘home office’, says Ingelsrud.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today