Norway has one of the most liberal parental leave systems in the world, and the amount of leave has just increased by 2 weeks! Norwegian parents have the right to take 49 weeks at 100 per cent pay or 59 weeks at 80 per cent pay within the first three years of their child's life. It doesn't matter how they take the leave - the parents can divide up the time as they wish and your work place has no means of preventing it. The only thing is that the three weeks before and six weeks after the birth are given to the mother, and the father must take 14 weeks paternity leave during that period. If he doesn't the family loses those weeks completely as they are not transferable to the mother.
Social studies indicate that giving fathers time to be at home with their new offspring, getting to know them, taking care of the household etc. is extremely beneficial in cementing family relationships and guarding against family breakdown in the first year. Let's face it babies are a huge stress factor no matter how cute they look! It also helps to break down issues of gender and stereotypes, particularly at the workplace.
So far so good, but some families find it difficult to make it work and find the system too restrictive - especially when it comes to those 14 weeks of paternity leave. Despite the fact that paternity leave has been enshrined in Norwwegian law since 1993 (then it was 6 weeks) there is still a feeling in the private sector that parental leave is more women's work than men's work! At least, that is the general consensus in the newspapers since the leader of the Conservative Party has come forward with the idea of removing paternity leave and replacing it with parental leave, so that parents can make their own decisions as to how to split the time available.
Erna Solberg, leader of is currently on the campaign trail for the general elections coming up in Spetember, and I guess she is hoping to appeal to many disgruntled Labour Party (currently in power) voters, who are feeling disgruntled with what we might call a 'nanny' state!
The maternity and paternity leave system is a great system for families, but is really expensive to run, and when you throw in the state supported childcare system which is available to all children over one year old - that's why taxes are so high! Oh, and I forgot to mention that you are entitled by law to take 24 days a year as sickleave to care for sick children under the age of 12, in addition to 24 days for yourself, and an employer may not unreasonably deny you leave to attend parent/teacher conferences, school plays etc. etc.
This really is a place where the family is king, and your work place comes second, which in a way isn't a bad thing at all!
A blog about daily life in Bergen, Norway. We moved here in 2010 due to work commitments (my husband's). Now having survived the first winter I feel able to write about the place without too much negativity! it is amazing how a lack of light, freezing temperatures and general horrid weather drain creativity!! I've learnt Norwegian, and work part time - so this really is living in Bergen!
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Cash cards for children - good or bad idea?
Well, finally summer is here and we are having lovely warm, sunny days here in Bergen. Hopefully it lasts until the weekend, as we plan to hike from Ulriken to Fløjen - 2 of the mountains behind Bergen, I'll let you know!
Until then - there has been a lively debate here recently about providing children with credit cards. Sparebank 1 in Norway has been doing so for over two years, and other Norwegian banks are jumping on the band wagon. There are, however, certain restraints attached:
- you have to have the agreement of your parents
- the card cannot be used on the internet
- there is a limit on the amount of money that can be used in one transaction (usually the equivalent of £10)
- it can be checked and topped up on-line
other than that, children as young as seven years old are allowed to get a card.
I find that quite remarkable and I'm not too sure that it is such a brilliant idea. OK it might be easy for busy, working (guilty?) parents to take out the Smartphone and pay their child's pocket money, instead of rooting around for coins or notes, but when I was a child I kind of enjoyed having 'real' money in my hand. I knew exactly how much was in my piggy bank, and only took money out when going shopping (usually for sweets!). Our children were the same and got real money given to them. It's funny how you notice their money habits evolve, from spending as soon as they have it, to saving for 'something big' and finally to being aware of the true value of things.
According to recent research in the USA, paying by credit card does not cause as much pain as paying with cash! A part of the brain called the insula, which is associated with pain processing was activated when subjects who had $20 cash to spend were subjected to pictures of items with prices that were too high. Not quite sure how that research actually was carried out, but other tests have shown that when paying for something with a credit card people focus more on the qualities and esthetics of the item than on the price. Buying over the internet apparently is even worse! We lose sight of the price completely!
Today, everyone talks about the endebtednessn of the average family, running several credit cards, a mortgage, car loan, etc., and of course it doesn't stop there. Greece is on the verge of bankruptcy, Detroit has alread filed, and Governments across Europe have a none to healthy debt to GDP ratio. So why encourage the next generation to use cards instead of money? I think we are doing our kids a disservice by introducing them too soon to the joys (?) of paying by plastic, even if it is really just a cash card and not a true credit card. Much better to let them have the physical coins and notes in their hands, and watch them disappear into the till when they buy something, which in itself is only shortlived (sweets, toys). I really think that is the only way in which one can learn about prioritising, saving and controlling our finances.
Of course, since all Norwegian banks charge for the use of credit and debit cards it is also just another way for the banks to earn money, so maybe the idea will come to the UK too, along with card charges. I haven't yet found any other country that allows children as young as seven to have a cash card though, so hopefully common sense will prevail.
Until then - there has been a lively debate here recently about providing children with credit cards. Sparebank 1 in Norway has been doing so for over two years, and other Norwegian banks are jumping on the band wagon. There are, however, certain restraints attached:
- you have to have the agreement of your parents
- the card cannot be used on the internet
- there is a limit on the amount of money that can be used in one transaction (usually the equivalent of £10)
- it can be checked and topped up on-line
other than that, children as young as seven years old are allowed to get a card.
I find that quite remarkable and I'm not too sure that it is such a brilliant idea. OK it might be easy for busy, working (guilty?) parents to take out the Smartphone and pay their child's pocket money, instead of rooting around for coins or notes, but when I was a child I kind of enjoyed having 'real' money in my hand. I knew exactly how much was in my piggy bank, and only took money out when going shopping (usually for sweets!). Our children were the same and got real money given to them. It's funny how you notice their money habits evolve, from spending as soon as they have it, to saving for 'something big' and finally to being aware of the true value of things.
According to recent research in the USA, paying by credit card does not cause as much pain as paying with cash! A part of the brain called the insula, which is associated with pain processing was activated when subjects who had $20 cash to spend were subjected to pictures of items with prices that were too high. Not quite sure how that research actually was carried out, but other tests have shown that when paying for something with a credit card people focus more on the qualities and esthetics of the item than on the price. Buying over the internet apparently is even worse! We lose sight of the price completely!
Today, everyone talks about the endebtednessn of the average family, running several credit cards, a mortgage, car loan, etc., and of course it doesn't stop there. Greece is on the verge of bankruptcy, Detroit has alread filed, and Governments across Europe have a none to healthy debt to GDP ratio. So why encourage the next generation to use cards instead of money? I think we are doing our kids a disservice by introducing them too soon to the joys (?) of paying by plastic, even if it is really just a cash card and not a true credit card. Much better to let them have the physical coins and notes in their hands, and watch them disappear into the till when they buy something, which in itself is only shortlived (sweets, toys). I really think that is the only way in which one can learn about prioritising, saving and controlling our finances.
Of course, since all Norwegian banks charge for the use of credit and debit cards it is also just another way for the banks to earn money, so maybe the idea will come to the UK too, along with card charges. I haven't yet found any other country that allows children as young as seven to have a cash card though, so hopefully common sense will prevail.
Friday, 19 July 2013
Norwegian ferries and LNG
I love the Norwegian ferries. There is something extremely romantic about crossing beautiful fjords in a little boat, which, come rain, shine, sleet and snow links the main traffic arteries and tiny villages along the west coast of Norway. There is one small problem though, they are not particularly environmentally friendly, throwing out black smoke from their funnels.
The ferry operators are aware of the problem, and have worked hard to develop more environmentally friendly engines that run on liquid natural gas. Last weekend was the maiden voyage of MS Stavangarfjird, which will run between Bergen and Hirtshals, Denmark, which apparently went extremely well except for one thing. The ferry company are not allowed to bunker (tank up the ferry) in Norway! Why? Because according to the authorities here it is too dangerous to bunker LBG when passengers are on board, although Denmark and Sweden have no problem with allowing it!
According to a spokesperson from the Department for community safety and preparation (Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap - guess that's Health and Safety!) the reason is because there is a possibility that a fire could occur whikst tanking the ferry. To remain a liquid LNG has to he kept under pressure at a temperature if -169C, and if any escapes it immediately becomes a gas. If the gas mixes with the correct volume of air and hits an ignition soirce there coukd be an explosion, although it is more likely that it would causea fire. However, the likelihood of thr mix being correct is extremely low, which is why other countries allow it.
As a resukt, the environmentally LNG will have to be taken by road tanker to Hirtshals in Denmark, so the ferries can bunker, incurring much greater CO2 emmissions than running the ferry in ordinary diesel, and of course high costs for the ferry comoany! Hopefully, the ferry can do the trip to and from Bergen without running out of fuel!! They could also bunker when there are no passengers on board, but the turnaround time does not allow for that - I assume extra port costs for time spent alongside, plus a couple of extra hours on the timetable would be even more expensive for Fjordline than trucking the stuff down to Denmark!
The ferry companies have apparently been trying to solve the problem since the beginning of the year but it seems no-one at the Directoratet wants to take a decision. It is funny hiw the Norwegians time after time shoot themselves in the foot commercially.
At the beginning of August it is Fjordsteam 2013, when Bergen/Hardanger fjord will be celebrating the hustory of the steam ferry (and Bergen Fire Brigade's 150th birthday!. The link goes through to an English brochure about the event. Let's hope the weather is more summery by then! http://www.fjordsteam.no/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/Brosjyre-18-1-13-engelsk.pdf
The ferry operators are aware of the problem, and have worked hard to develop more environmentally friendly engines that run on liquid natural gas. Last weekend was the maiden voyage of MS Stavangarfjird, which will run between Bergen and Hirtshals, Denmark, which apparently went extremely well except for one thing. The ferry company are not allowed to bunker (tank up the ferry) in Norway! Why? Because according to the authorities here it is too dangerous to bunker LBG when passengers are on board, although Denmark and Sweden have no problem with allowing it!
According to a spokesperson from the Department for community safety and preparation (Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap - guess that's Health and Safety!) the reason is because there is a possibility that a fire could occur whikst tanking the ferry. To remain a liquid LNG has to he kept under pressure at a temperature if -169C, and if any escapes it immediately becomes a gas. If the gas mixes with the correct volume of air and hits an ignition soirce there coukd be an explosion, although it is more likely that it would causea fire. However, the likelihood of thr mix being correct is extremely low, which is why other countries allow it.
As a resukt, the environmentally LNG will have to be taken by road tanker to Hirtshals in Denmark, so the ferries can bunker, incurring much greater CO2 emmissions than running the ferry in ordinary diesel, and of course high costs for the ferry comoany! Hopefully, the ferry can do the trip to and from Bergen without running out of fuel!! They could also bunker when there are no passengers on board, but the turnaround time does not allow for that - I assume extra port costs for time spent alongside, plus a couple of extra hours on the timetable would be even more expensive for Fjordline than trucking the stuff down to Denmark!
The ferry companies have apparently been trying to solve the problem since the beginning of the year but it seems no-one at the Directoratet wants to take a decision. It is funny hiw the Norwegians time after time shoot themselves in the foot commercially.
At the beginning of August it is Fjordsteam 2013, when Bergen/Hardanger fjord will be celebrating the hustory of the steam ferry (and Bergen Fire Brigade's 150th birthday!. The link goes through to an English brochure about the event. Let's hope the weather is more summery by then! http://www.fjordsteam.no/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/Brosjyre-18-1-13-engelsk.pdf
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