‘The elephant in the room’: when complex service needs are met with avoidance by frontline workers

Frontline workers are central to the implementation of social policy, which involves balancing conflicting demands and expectations – such as standardized processes, on the one hand, and the exercise of discretion to provide individually adapted services, on the other. In this article, we examine how frontline workers in the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (Nav) cope with challenging situations in their work with youth not in employment or education who receive financial social assistance. The article is based on a qualitative study conducted at five Nav offices. The study comprises 14 observations of conversations between frontline workers and young Nav clients, alongside 5 focus group interviews with the frontline workers. Our findings suggest that frontline workers tend to cope by sidestepping the complex challenges faced by the young Nav clients they serve, often avoiding directly addressing or acknowledging these issues. This avoidance appears linked to specific characteristics of the frontline work context, such as limited resources and minimal control over work situations.