Bank director helped to get union representatives elected

"Can you be leaned on?"

Sanne Fredenslund, Head of Private Banking at Nordea, asked the employees in Asset Management to consider this. At the request of the senior union representative, she stopped by the department to help focus on the importance of having union representatives.

Such a person has been missing for many years in Asset Management, which counts up to 400 employees, divided into 40 nationalities. But now they are no longer missing. After Sanne Fredenslund's visit, the department has elected two union representatives.

One is 49-year-old Lasse Bentholm-Pedersen, who is a senior analyst.

"We sit by ourselves in Christianshavn, we have a bit of our own culture and have not had a union representative for many years. I had previously thought about it being an opportunity for me, because I have always wanted to make a difference for my colleagues – I feel that there is a lot to achieve by standing together across the bank."

Therefore, he did not take long to consider it and stand up when Finansforbundet in Nordea together with Sanne Fredenslund talked about the advantages of having a union representative.

Translators
Sanne Fredenslund says that she has benefited greatly from working with union representatives throughout her career as a manager.

"I have a relatively lot to do with the union representatives. Among other things, in connection with a change of strategy and direction when it has consequences for the employees. In general, the union representatives are important sparring partners in relation to how we best communicate changes."

Every six months, the bank director holds status interviews with the 10-12 union representatives who belongs to departments that report to her.

"I often get really good help from the union representatives to translate what is important among the employees. It can be quite difficult to find out from what I can read on our intranet, for example, but they are good at helping me with that. It's rare that I hear about something I had no idea about, but how deep it goes can be difficult for me to assess."

Something to give of
At the meeting, where Sanne Fredenslund supported the election of union representatives, she advised those gathered to see if they had a good starting point for becoming union representatives:

"My advice is that you should be in a state of well-being both professionally and personally when you run for the role. So you have something to give to others and can withstand being someone that others can lean on. These are basically the same considerations you should make as a leader on an ongoing basis."

Lots of positive feedback
Lasse Bentholm-Pedersen is happy with the world that his position as a union representative has opened up for. He is in the process of basic training as union representative and together with his union representative colleague he is working for increased visibility:

"We write newsletters and present ourselves on screens around the house. We get lots of positive feedback and inquiries about everything," he says.

"In the long term, when I finish my education, I hope that my commitment can help to create a workplace where everyone feels heard and respected. And help promote a culture where you not only look at tasks, but also people. In general, I will work for a better collaboration between managers and employees."

He also has the courage to recruit more of his colleagues – and there are many to try with. Of the up to 400 colleagues in Asset Management, only about 140 are currently members of Finansforbundet in Nordea.

"I am also completely ready for that task. The more we stand together, the better."