A kindergarten in northern Norway found itself in crisis. Staff shortages grew so severe that operations dropped to 50% capacity. Parents had to stay home every other day to care for their children.
Kindergarten manager Una Øien described the situation as critical. "It burned here," she said, indicating operations were pushed to the absolute limit. The spring brought them to a breaking point.
Local politicians and municipal leaders decided to try something drastic. They launched a pilot project where staff work 80% of the time for 100% of their pay, with a rotating weekly day off.
Barnehagelærer Silje Sørnes says the arrangement is generous but completely necessary for recruitment. She chose this kindergarten partly because of the 80/100 scheme.
"I had job offers here and in two other kindergartens in Hammerfest," Sørnes said. "The arrangement here is a huge plus."
She is one of many teachers in Finnmark who gets up to 60,000 kroner of her student loan wiped annually. She also benefits from the Finnmarksfradrag, a special tax deduction for residents of Norway's northernmost county, and lower income tax.
Hammerfest municipality also introduced a 50,000 kroner honorarium for kindergarten teachers and teachers who sign a two-year contract with the municipality.
And then Silje has this one paid day off each week. If she needs a different day for a hair appointment, for example, she can swap with a colleague.
Kindergarten manager Una noticed a dramatic change when she compared absenteeism before and after the 80/100 scheme.
"We had 50% absenteeism, specifically 53.4% at its worst," Øien emphasized. "In August, we had zero absence. Zero."
Now they consistently maintain three to four percent absence.
Barnehagesjef Unn Slettvoll in Hammerfest municipality shares the pride and satisfaction with the 80/100 arrangement.
"We see that it has had a very, very large effect," Slettvoll said. "Those who have applied to work there are people who want to work this way and have been very stable in this way of working."
She noted that three extra positions were needed to staff the new arrangement, costing about 2.5 million kroner annually.
When asked if she would recommend other municipalities to try this, Slettvoll responded, "Absolutely. This has an effect, so I would absolutely do that. Especially in places where the need and absenteeism are greatest - and staffing is thinnest."
The kindergarten in Kvalsund, which reopened alongside the nearby school, continues its daily routines. Silje Sørnes prepares the youngest children - the one- and two-year-olds - to go out in the snow.
She puts on robust outerwear, mittens, a hat, and waterproof, lined winter boots. When asked what's best about her job, she doesn't hesitate.
"I like the professional part of the job and having contact with children," the kindergarten teacher in Kvalsund responded. "The one-year-olds I started with become two the next year. Seeing how capable they are is very rewarding. You follow them. I am privileged to be allowed to do that."
Manager Una adds, "It's very easy to think that - yes, yes, they go to kindergarten. They are small and quite helpless. But they can do a lot. They interact with others, they clean up after eating, they help with baking, and they go on trips and play."
The two early childhood educators pour soul and competence into giving many children a good start to their upbringing.
And in doing so, they relieve the parents.
This Norwegian experiment shows that sometimes solving a staffing crisis requires bold moves rather than incremental changes. The dramatic drop in absenteeism suggests that when employees feel valued and get adequate rest, everyone benefits.