Live data from Hacker News

In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

youtube.com

51–60 of 172 posts

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#51
post #40
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a few thousands such cases, mostly in east-european countries. It is recommended not to bring your family to Norway, if you find job there.

What is this referring to?

In Norway we have a very aggressive child protection organization called "Barnevernet". Everything that is considered normal child care in other countries, may be very wrong here. There recently was an indian couple that lost the right to take care of their children, because they punished them by for example eating from the floor when they did not behave. This is very common in India. I believe after a while they got their children back as they got more educated.

So if you have plans to move your familiy here, you have to adapt to our culture of child care. On the other hand, this organization will more often catch and follow-up children in homes which could be dangerous for them. In that way we can prevent that the children will have social issues when they are grown ups which is a benefit for our society as whole.

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#52

This is even more interesting when companies do it. There are many startups these days that are pushing radical transparency and you actually know what everyone makes in the company. I think this builds trust and frees people up from the anxiety of not knowing if they are getting screwed. The other thing is all high performing individuals in society, athletes, actors what have you, their salaries are know. This isn't…

Such as ?

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#53

When I lived in Norway, I found this to be a pointless violation of my privacy. Still do.

Well, it's a different culture here in Scandinavia. Personally, I couldn't care less if anyone wanted to look up my salary - whether it is a recruiter or someone else. I have my own valuation of my time and skills and if a potential employer can't meet that, there's someone else who will. Having this mindset will help sift out companies that you probably wouldn't want to work for in the first place.

But it reduces your ability to negotiate its also acts to keep the lower orders in their place as an atypical candidate my have started out at a lower salary and so be les likely to progress to the same level as some one born with a silver spoon in their mouth

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#54
I'm sure that would be just peachy when the company you work for runs all its employees and notices that you reported more income than they are paying you. It was bad enough when I worked under a government grant so my salary was public. I prefer privacy.

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#55
post #18

It works like that here in Sweden as well. Fun story: in my teenage years, when dating my high school sweetheart, I went to visit her grandparents house for the first time. Arriving at their house, the grandmother quickly pulls out her Taxeringskalender (taxation calendar - a paperback where a company has collected all this public information, and they sell it as a handy book). She begins to look up my surname and te…

This doesn't sound like a fun story at all, actually. I honestly don't see what kind of good could come from disclosing tax returns publicly..

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#56

Norway is no different from all rich oil-producing countries. Just selling oil is not that hard, but what will happen when Norway run out of oil?

I'm an immigrant in Norway. There are a lot of notable exceptions between oil-producing nations. They found oil later than a lot of other nations (late 60's), and took steps upfront to not get in the same situation. In the country itself, electric cars are subsidized (and have benefits). Gas is taxed pretty well. Having a vehicle is expensive. Clean energy is encouraged. They took the money they've made with oil and invested it in a lot of different industries and they use the interest and profits from that to fun public programs, though lots of stuff is taxed and that tax is used as well.

The fund itself is pretty diverse, and the folks have a philosopher or two on board.

The whole point is that from what I see, no one sees it as something that will last forever. The country is already planning on such things. What exactly the plan is, I haven't a clue, but I sleep better at night knowing that folks smarter (or with more influence) than I are thinking in such ways. From what I can tell, it is a mix of proactive and prudent.

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#57

What? You cannot do this in every democratic country? The government should be transparent, therefore everything the government bodies do that does not obviously need to be protected should be public.

For the government being transparent you have to know what the government collects. But for that it doesn't matter what a single person earns and pays. This might be more relevant with corporate taxes (where authorities make deals to keep a company in one location), subsidiaries or donations to political parties (which aim for influence)

I think all public, private and corporate financial transactions, including cash transactions, should be public, with absolutely no expectation of privacy or avoidance through clever financial engineering or creative accounting.

Every single transaction. Ever. In the whole world. Recorded permanently.

It would be the fastest way to end political corruption. It would also shine some light on who the world's richest people really are, and how they make and spend their money.

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#58
post #28

Norway has zero transparency when it comes to children rights. Some governments (Slovak, Czech, Romania) recommend not to travel there with children. EDIT: Some explanations. - In Norway social services (Barnevernet) can take children from family without any explanation. - Parents are under gag order, and can not talk about their case. Talking to press means you loose parental rights. - There is no appeal, proof, or…

Problem is, that they don't discuss the cases with anyone (because of children protection). They may all be valid abuse cases, but they will just not present any data about them. In most famous case in Czech, I believe it was real abuse. Despite that common Czech perception is that is was basically misunderstanding. In other cases I'm not so sure, but I miss lots of data. It's also not about basic travel, but living…

I believe you are talking about Michaláková. She lost parental rights because she talked to press.

http://zpravy.idnes.cz/norsko-michalakova-soud-0w5-/domaci.a...

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#59

I'm sure that would be just peachy when the company you work for runs all its employees and notices that you reported more income than they are paying you. It was bad enough when I worked under a government grant so my salary was public. I prefer privacy.

When would that be the case? When you have another job on the side? How is that your employer's business?

Re: In Norway, everyone can know how much you earn [video]

#60

Norway is no different from all rich oil-producing countries. Just selling oil is not that hard, but what will happen when Norway run out of oil?

Live off dividends and enjoy their lives. Fund education, science, art, creativity, leisure.

Or they could blow it on pointless wars and invasions I guess?

Post reply on HN