These are the Christmas gifts of the crown heroes – VG

It is in the health sector as in all other families: some receive more gifts than others.

At the National Institute of Public Health and at St. Olav Hospital in Trøndelag, employees receive a NOK 1,000 gift card, while hospital employees in Møre og Romsdal and Østfold are standing with hat in hand.

At the Northern Norwegian University Hospital, Santa Claus says that it is forbidden to give gifts to employees.

VG has mapped out what all health trusts in Norway give as a Christmas gift to their employees this year. We also found out what employees of the National Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian Health Directorate and the Ministry of Health and Care Services get.

See the full description of the gift sparks at the end of the article.

For some, it is empty under the tree.

Sykehuset Innlandet and Helse Nord-Trøndelag write that they have no tradition of giving Christmas gifts to employees.

The University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) says it goes against its regulations:

– UNN’s ethical standards state that the employer cannot give gifts to employees, as we are a public company that manages taxpayers’ money. The staff have made a fantastic effort during the pandemic. The management of the UNN tries to express this as often as possible, informs the hospital in an email to VG.

Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) “does not prioritize the use of public funds for hospital operations as Christmas gifts for employees,” but hospital employees still receive a Christmas gift:

– In normal years, we usually serve Christmas porridge to all employees and we have various events for employees and their families, such as a Christmas concert and a Christmas tree party. This year, Christmas porridge has been replaced by a wrapped lunch plate filled with infection control, writes Human Resources Director Jan Inge Pettersen in Ahus.

Helse Bergen will not indicate what employees receive.

– Haukeland Santa Claus doesn’t reveal anything before Christmas, but call after Christmas and you’ll get the answer, says communications consultant Thomas Abrahamsen.

Helse Stavanger did not give a Christmas present to its employees, but Helse Vest has given all employees in the health region an artificial Christmas card from Pøbel. There, the artist had misled into a video greeting via a QR code with a tribute to hospital employees and criticism for the lack of staff in hospitals, writes NRK.

In addition, Helse Vest has gifted its 70 employees with two small steel bowls.

In order to make the individual gift a little more generous, Helse Fonna has chosen this year to use the Christmas gift budget to create a Christmas lottery for all employees with, among other things, 50 gift cards per NOK 2,000 value as a premiere.

At Sørlandet Hospital, the management leaves the task of finding gifts for the 70 crowns they have in the budget to the section chiefs. employee. They do the same at Sunnaa Hospital, but there the sum ranges from NOK 100 to 150 per employee.

Sunnaas has also created a digital Christmas calendar with prizes to replace canceled Christmas dinners.

Oslo University Hospital and Helse Sør-Øst provide their employees with a literary experience of their choice in the form of a NOK 300 gift card in a bookstore.

Previously, it has come to attention that the employees of Telemark Hospital, after several years without a Christmas present this year, received an umbrella.

Helgeland Hospital also does not have a Christmas gift tradition, but employees receive a greeting from the CEO in reflex form, a steak and a card holder.

Employees of Østfold Hospital and Helse Møre og Romsdal can keep their ears warm during the winter crown with a hat with the hospital logo.

– It is a quality wool hat from the local brand Devold. There has been no tradition of giving Christmas gifts to employees in the health trust, so this is the first time, writes communications consultant Hege Hegle of Helse Møre og Romsdal.

At Vestfold Hospital, employees receive a glass of Hadeland Glassverk, a tradition for many years.

Helse Nord does not give gifts to employees, but has given gifts to charities for several years. This year, the Red Cross visiting service will receive NOK 30,000.

Nordland Hospital offers gifts every two years to employees and charities. This year, they will offer 100,000 crowns to MSF.

Finnmark Hospital has provided its employees with a shopping network with reflective clothing and a set of harnesses, “so that they are clearly visible when they are out and about in the dark.” A greeting from the hospital director is included in Norwegian and Sami.

Also at the Norwegian Health Directorate, they are going to give a practical Christmas present this year.

There, Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad and the other employees can go on a Christmas trip with a new sports bag.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitary Services affirms that they do not usually give their employees a Christmas present, but that “as a gesture in an extraordinary year, all employees receive a little attention in the form of coffee and chocolate at Christmas.”

And while they usually get nothing from Santa Bent Høie, the health bureaucrats may look a bit envious at the hospital employees in Vestre Viken. They get one much larger gourmet bag, being able to enjoy Christmas coffee, drops of raspberry, mocha and liquorice, as well as salt, seasoning for meat and seasoning for fish.

The winners of this year’s Christmas present in the public health sector are employees of the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and St. Olav’s Hospital.

Employees of the hospital in Sør-Trøndelag receive a gift card of NOK 1,000 each from Midtbygruppen in Trondheim.

– There is no tradition of giving Christmas gifts in public hospitals, but this has been a very special year. Employees have made an impressive effort during the pandemic and it feels good to give an extraordinary thank you this year. This year, employees, to a small extent, have been able to travel on courses or pursue higher education and therefore have not received any professional replacement. This has given us financial leeway to provide a resupply in another way, writes the hospital’s director, Grethe Aasved, in an email to VG.

The hospital also notes that the gift supports the local business community during the pandemic.

The 1000 crowns gift card for FHI employees says:

“2020 is a special year, with unusual working conditions and extraordinary work effort. Due to the infection situation, there will be no Christmas events for neighborhoods and areas. This year, therefore, all employees will receive a greeting and a gift card as a thank you for their efforts. “

Principal Camilla Stoltenberg has also written a Christmas card to employees thanking them and their families for their efforts during the pandemic year.

– I know that there are many who deserve part of that gratitude: it is you who have a mother or father who works at the National Institute of Public Health – and who miss that you spend more time together and wish that there were not always so many meetings and work phones, writes Stoltenberg.

The director also writes that they will work hard with the corona pandemic for some time, and that it will be exhausting for many.

– The effort we make now is so that everyone can get back together without being afraid of infecting ourselves or others.

The Prime Minister’s Office claims that Erna Solberg has not given Christmas gifts to the Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie, or the other government ministers, but has written personal Christmas cards to them.

P.S. VG stopped giving Christmas gifts to employees in 2016, but this year they have gifted their employees a gourmet box of Greek delicacies worth approx. 375 crowns. Through the selection of “Name of the Year”, VG also donates NOK 50,000 to a charity. This year, “Name of the year” Espen Rostrup Nakstad decided that the money will go to Doctors Without Borders.

Helse Førde has not responded to VG’s repeated questions.