Working Environment at IG

Please note that this is a non-exhaustive list. Please contact us if you think something is missing, discover errors, or want to suggest changes. 

UiT resources 

UiT employees have access to several handbooks intended to be a daily source of help, as well as resources to promote a healthy working environment.        

• Velkommen til UiT | Welcome to UiT – UiT webpage with information for new employees, from signing your contract to your first day, week, month, and so on at UiT.  

• Employee handbooks: 
• Personalhåndbok | Employee Handbook – Information for employees about salary, travel, reimbursement, working hours, absence, employee benefits, labour unions, and co-determination.
• UiTs HMS-håndbok | UiT HSE Manual – Internal webpages about health, safety, and environment (HSE) and emergency preparedness (e.g., guidelines and routines, necessary training, risk assessment). 
• GReAT new employee handbook – Guide developed by the Geoscience Research Academy of Tromsø (GReAT), serving as a brief introduction to starting life and work in Tromsø, with links to useful resources.

• Verneombud | Safety Representative – Assists the employer in the preventative HSE work and act as a mediator between the employee and the employer. 

• The tasks of the Safety Representative are described in UiT's HSE regulations.  
• Poster (in Norwegian and English) introducing what kind of matters the Safety Representative can help you with: Verneombud (VO) plakat. 
• More information about the role of the Safety Representative is available on The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s webpage: norsk | English. 

• HEMIS – Occupational health services at UiT, offering appointments with e.g., psychologists, HSE advisers and physiotherapists (up to 5 hours per employee/case).  
• Direct link to Hemis sitt samtaletilbud | HEMIS support talks, offering conversational guidance if you are struggling with e.g., anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, grief, or life crises that affect your performance or achievement at work (NB! The webpage is in Norwegian, but they also offer support talks in English). 

• Si ifra! | Speak up – Online portal with information about harassment, UiT reporting guidelines, and contact information if you need someone to talk to or want to report. 

• UiT Emergency page – Emergency contact information (including 24-hour UiT emergency number and UiT’s security company). 

• Forskningsetikk | Research ethics – UiT portal for research ethics. This site contains information about guidelines, the process when there is a suspicion of violation of research ethics guidelines, and the research ethics committee at UiT.  
• Forskningsetiske retningslinjer | Research ethics guidelines – Researchers and students at UiT shall follow national guidelines for good research ethics developed by the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees (NO: De nasjonale forskningsetiske komiteene). 
• Etiske retningslinjer for veiledning | Ethical guidelines for supervision – Guidelines applying to supervision at bachelor, master, and PhD level at UiT.  
• The Research Ethics Act (NO: Forskningsetikkloven) is intended to ensure that public and private research is conducted in accordance with recognized research ethics standards.  

Groups and unions 

Trade unions (NO: fagforeninger) can support salary and contract negations and provide member benefits such as good deals on insurances, legal services, and access to courses. 

• In Norway, there are four main confederations (LO, Unio, YS, and Akademikerne) that most trade unions are part of (for more information, see here).  

• Lag og foreninger tilknyttet UiT | Unions, organizations and groups at UiT – Overview of trade unions, main organizations, and special interest groups, including information about local union representatives at UiT.   

• Which union to choose depends on e.g. your profession, position, or field of work. Some of the most relevant unions are: 
• Forskerforbundet (part of Unio) – One of Norway's largest trade unions and special interest organisations for employees in research and higher education. Members are usually employed in scientific, technical-administrative or other professional positions that normally require higher education.  
• Tekna (part of Akademikerne) – Norway's largest professional association for those with a master's degree in technical and scientific fields. Members are natural scientists, technologists, and students with at least 120 credits. 

External resources 

Here are some more general resources regarding employment laws & regulations, discrimination, and emergency prevention and preparedness in Norway. 

• Arbeidsmiljøloven | Working Environment Act – The basic law for working life in Norway. The Act contains, among other things, rules on the working environment, job security (employee protection against unfair dismissal), working hours, leave of absence, employment and termination of employment. 

• Arbeidstilsynet | The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority – Provides important and relevant information for everyone working in Norway. 
• See for example Working in Norway: Your rights and obligations. 

• Likestillings- og diskrimineringsombudet | Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud – Provide free advice and guidance in matters relating to discrimination and harassment. You can be anonymous.  
• Information (in Norwegian) about what to do if being discriminated at work is available here: Er du diskriminert eller trakassert?. 

• Sikresiden.no – Online preventive training and advice on what to do in different kinds of emergencies. 
• Sikresiden.no is a collaboration between 33 universities, colleges and research institutions in Norway, with the UiT page containing UiT-specific information, such as the UiT emergency number.