Sick leave made simple

In Norway, 3.8 million sick leave registrations are handled each year, requiring a significant amount of paperwork. EGGS helped develop a digitalised, user-centred concept where the service experience improved for all stakeholders; the employees, employers, doctors and NAV(Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration).

Rapidly changing society

During the past few years, NAV has received a more significant amount of sick leave registrations, with an annual increase of 15% expected up until 2025.

With their complex and paperwork-heavy processes, finding ways to innovate and modernize their service became our No.1 goal. By using service design methods based on user needs, we created a basis for NAV to operate in a smarter way.

Catering to a diverse group

Users of public services such as NAV are a very diverse group. Both regarding age and cultural background as well as what type of problem they're experiencing. The problems range from short-term illnesses and long-term health issues to, in some cases, terminal illnesses. Hence, several aspects of NAV’s service follow standard procedures to cater to different people in different life situations and with varying difficulties, while others are tailored to suit people’s individual needs.

Sigrun (left) and Åshild (right) discussing the different users and their needs during one of the workshops.

Getting people back to work faster

Through workshops and interviews, and thanks to previous research results and our expertise in service design, EGGS and Norwegian management consultancy, A-2, obtained insights into how different users experienced the service. Based on this we developed a digitalized concept where time spent on paperwork and telephone contacts was vastly reduced. Today, more time gets dedicated to expanding the quality of follow-up efforts. The significance of this is that it helps people get back to work faster.

"Through insights and value propositions, A-2 and EGGS have contributed to an increased focus on users."

Kristian Munthe, Department Director, NAV

The user journey visualised for the different types of users.

About the collaboration

The project was a collaboration between A-2 and EGGS Design. EGGS got involved in the early stages of the innovation process by visualizing how a future model for NAV's sick leave system could look by applying service design. We did this by using service design methods such as user insights, mapping out user profiles, user journeys, service strategies, and service concepts. A-2 continued the project after EGGS had accomplished its mission, followed by designers, developers, and product managers from Bekk, Sopra Steria, and NAV.