You are not alone

"Finansbundet in Nordea, it's Charlotte Hansen".

Finansforbundet in Nordea's legal advisors’ phones ring frequently. Legal advisor Charlotte Hansen, legal consultant Nimra Fakhri and board member Louise Naur all daily help several members who are in trouble or need advice and guidance. Some cases take three minutes, while others are complicated, lengthy processes.

"Our help is a bit like insurance. Hopefully it will not be needed, but if something goes wrong, it's really important to be covered. But we are much more than that. We also offer advice, sparring and support in close collaboration with our approx. 150 union representatives. Members typically contact us if something is wrong, but you can also use us even if this is not the case. We can as well help with transition to/from employment on a contract basis, working time rules, or if you can't make head or tail in the holiday rules," says Louise Naur.

Many different cases

The legal advisors help the members with many different cases. Here are a few examples:

• A member has been on long-term sick leave, and after a longer period this leads to termination of the employment.
• A member has got a new job at another bank and needs to know what to do regarding deadlines, time bank etc.
• A member is told at the PLD that the person in question has three months to find another job. It is not a formal dismissal and therefore the member is in doubt about their rights.

"Members reach out to us when they are in a vulnerable situation and may be moving on - regardless of whether it is of their own choice or not. When something happens at the bank, we ensure that everything runs according to the agreed rules. The members must have the offers and the compensation that has been agreed. Sometimes something has happened in the process beforehand that means we can negotiate a little extra compensation for the member, other times we can't," says Nimra Fakhri.

Cool head, warm heart

Charlotte Hansen adds:

"It can be difficult to think clearly in a stressful situation. Here we can keep a cool head and a warm heart, provide support and reassurance and leaving no stones unturned. Basically, we cannot promise anything other than that we take the member seriously and are on their side. And we try to negotiate the best possible solution for the member.”

In some cases, the members contact the legal advisors because they are considering changes themselves. At other times, announcements and proposals from management may need to be digested.

"The members can ‘play ball’ with us and become clearer about what they want. For many, it has taken a while to contact the trade union because it is a mental barrier to deal with a future where decisive changes await," says Louise Naur.

Lay representative for critical conversations

At meetings regarding termination of a contract, significant changes in the conditions or similar, all members will be offered a lay representative, who is typically the local union or senior union representative. They are usually the ones who will subsequently negotiate terms with the managers. The legal advisors’ team works closely with the union and senior union representatives, often assisting with advice and sparring.

"We are always in touch when there is a case, and if there are bigger staff cuts, one or more from the legal advisors’ team will typically participate. We also take care ourselves of more serious cases," says Louise Naur.

Finansforbundet in Nordea is the only professional organization having union representatives in Nordea Denmark. This means that if you are not a member of a union at all or are, for example, a member of DJØF, you will not be offered a union representative during  critical conversations. The union representative's role is to listen, be your sparring partner, your confidential support and the one who will have the opportunity to negotiate with Nordea afterwards, as we are the only organization having the right to negotiate with Nordea.

Local knowledge helps

As a member of Finansforbundet in Nordea, there are many advantages by having the local union ready to help.

"We already know the bank and the terms, as Finansforbundet in Nordea has negotiated the collective company agreement. So when a member calls, the need for talking about the outer framework is small. Instead, we can quickly jump to the real problem, challenge, question or wonder," says Louise Naur.

We are present

All employees in Nordea Denmark can become members of Finansforbundet and in this way get help, advice and support from Finansforbundet in Nordea and participate in the union's events. Finansforbundet in Nordea covers everyone in Nordea – the entire spectrum from interns to managers.

As a starting point, you should contact your local union or senior union representative if you need help - they know the conditions best and can e.g. forward the matter for negotiation with the local manager.

If you do not have a local union or senior union representative, you can contact the legal advisors’ team directly.

"In personnel matters, where the member is a manager, it will always be one of us who are lay representative at the critical conversations. The manager may have management responsibility for the nearest union representative. We will therefore leave it up to the manager whether she/he subsequently want to involve the local union representative," says Louise Naur.

Many members express that they are happy with the help and sparring they receive.

"But even if, in a negotiation with People, we might be able to secure the member three months' extra salary for some unreasonable circumstances for the dismissal, it does not change the fact that the member has lost his or her job," says Nimra Fakhri. Louise Naur adds:

"Yes, but we are present. And the member is not alone.”