A Norwegian Company Trick For Expats

Hi All,

I am working as a business consultant for Oslo based companies since 2014. So i have enough experience to shape their business models and how they think for a business case.

I have learnt a very weird business tactic of norwegian companies recently for cutting expenses for HR for Norway based works. If someone told me that i probably tell ‘it wont work in real life’ but i experience that personally. So as a expat or foreign person who are ready to work with a norwegian company i think you need to know this.

First of all of course Norway has a great system for its citizens. Really absolutly great. You probably live no problems if you are a norwegian citizen or protected by laws equal to norwegian citizen. So this case is for ‘other’ people.

So the HR and the most of the expenses in Norway is high right? Huge. Assemble a team, feed the team demanding huge expenses even for Norwegian companies. Lets say you are developing a software for Norway and you want to cut the expenses. Thats how our story begin.

A manager goes to the non-EU prefably middle-income country setup a company there. Hire people with same quality with a possible norway team. Probably paying %30 of the norway expenses and make sure them work for Norway market. The non-norwegian crew coming to Norway, working at the Norway and returning to their country as business wise. Everything is legal for sure.
Lets say the software needs 24 months and everybody is happy until 18th month.

In 18th month (depending on project) some financial problems begin, salaries not on time, short salaries etc after a month CEO comes up and says company is in financial problems and if the crew work hard and finish the job in 4-6 months company publish the product, get the money and pay everybody their salaries + bonus for the problems they faced. Some of them may say yes, some of them may say no. Lets say the yes group have the majority and they accepted the deal because they dont live any problems more then 18 months right?

After software is completed manager or CEO fly to the Norway and never comes back to that country again. Here is your options,

You can sue the company in the country but the company probably will have no assets. So you will get nothing.
You can sue the company in the Norway but the lawyer cost 200-300 euro/hour +VAT + expenses and lawyer cant tell when will be the case closed. THAT IS HUGE EXPENSE for a employee cant get his salaries for more than 6 months.

So the company wins for both cases.

There is a another option which is appling to [arbeidstilsynet.no](https://arbeidstilsynet.no) but after your file examined by executives they say its between the norwegian company and [arbeidstilsynet.no](https://arbeidstilsynet.no) now. So they say we dont have any obligation to provide your salaries to you. This business tactic is also crime in Norway as i look to the Norwegian laws but [arbeidstilsynet.no](https://arbeidstilsynet.no) accepting it as a inside investigation.

I worked more than 12 companies in Norway and faced with this issue with an one company. Still looking for ways. After i understand the ‘tactic’ (it takes sometime for me to understand that also) i asked my norwegian friends this issue and ask if the norwegian companies doing it a lot?
they said a lot !

Last week i talked with CEO again that i worked with and he literally treated me with the lawyer expense because he knows i am in financial trouble because of pandemic and he is taking advantage of it. (my advice record every meeting)

I am open for suggestions but my advice always be careful about your agreements and make sure that at your agreement has a equal rights as a norwegian citizen. Dont fall into a company’s emotinal ‘we can do it together’ speeches and future promises.

I will uptade this post after i got a succesful result. The ways i tried and how i get my salaries. I can even share the company info with proofs in future if they really push me.

Of course for going to [arbeidstilsynet.no](https://arbeidstilsynet.no) you must have a very strong proffs like signed documents that telling X is our emplooyee, visa letters, pictures in Norway while working and for sure other legal documentation.