Introducing new PhD candidate: Silje Hagen Sofienlund

She holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Bergen, specializing in labor law, and has previously worked as an advisor at the Norwegian Competition Authority. Her thesis will investigate how current law regulates the balance between work and leisure time.

In a digital work-life, the boundaries between work and private life become blurred. Silje’s thesis aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the concept of working time for all job categories in Norwegian law. The analyses will clarify and explain the current law, as well as highlight whether there is a need for an explicit right to disconnect from work outside working hours and form the basis for an evaluation of the current regulations.

Silje will analyze Norwegian labor law, including the impact of EU/EEA law. Comparative analyses of selected countries’ regulations on the right to disconnect will be conducted. Ongoing discussions in the EU about the right to disconnect and the potential impact of a directive on Norway will also be examined. The thesis will provide a better understanding of the legal framework that regulates modern working life.