Denmark
denmark

Leave in Denmark

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Denmark

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  • Denmark
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  • Holiday Leave in Denmark

    Denmark rolled out a new holiday act on September 1, 2020, changing the holiday year to run from September 1 to August 31. Employees are entitled to 5 weeks' paid leave (25 days), of which three can be used consecutively between May 1 and September 30. Employees earn 2.08 paid holidays for every month worked and can spend them in the same holiday year or no later than December 30 in the following year.

    Regardless of how many paid vacation days someone has accrued, everyone has the right to take up to 5 weeks' holiday per holiday year.

    Public holidays

    Denmark Public Holiday Calendar 2024

    DATE WEEK DAY HOLIDAY LOCAL NAME
    01/01/2024MondayNew Year's DayNytårsdag
    28/03/2024ThursdayMaundy ThursdaySkærtorsdag
    29/03/2024FridayGood FridayLangfredag
    31/03/2024SundayEaster SundayPåskedag
    01/04/2024MondayEaster Monday2. Påskedag
    09/05/2024ThursdayAscension DayKristi Himmelfartsdag
    10/05/2024FridayBank closing dayBanklukkedag
    19/05/2024SundayPentecostPinsedag
    20/05/2024MondayWhit Monday2. Pinsedag
    05/06/2024WednesdayConstitution DayGrundlovsdag
    24/12/2024TuesdayChristmas EveJuleaftensdag
    25/12/2024WednesdayChristmas DayJuledag / 1. juledag
    26/12/2024ThursdaySt. Stephen's Day2. juledag
    31/12/2024TuesdayNew Year's EveNytårsaftensdag

    Holidays falling on the weekend do not transfer to the next working day.

    Types of Leave in Denmark

    Sick leave

    Employees are entitled to full salary during sickness from the employer without limitations.

    After 30 days of sickness, the employer can be reimbursed by the municipality, if the employee is entitled to sickness benefits. To be eligible, the employee must:

    • have been continuously employed by the employer for the last eight weeks
    • worked at least 74 hours in that time

    Sickness benefits are calculated based on the employee's salary. The maximum amount of sickness benefits is currently (2023) DKK 4,550 a week or DKK 122,97 an hour.

    Maternity leave

    Women are entitled to 4 weeks' leave before giving birth, and 14 weeks' after (of which the first two weeks are mandatory). Mothers are entitled to 50% of their salary during that whole time

    Paternity leave

    Men are entitled to 2 weeks' paternity leave, which they must take during the first 14 weeks following the birth or adoption. The father is entitled to maternity pay from the municipality during the paternity leave.

    Adoption leave

    Adoptive parents are entitled a 4-week leave before the child is put under their care. The leave can be extended with extra four weeks if there is a delay, which is not due to the adoptive parents' circumstances. After the receipt of the child, the parents are entitled to two weeks leave together with the child.

    After that, the parents are entitled to 14 weeks leave in total, which they have to take one at a time.

    Throughout the leave, the parents are entitled to maternity pay.

    After the 14 weeks, the parents are entitled to parental leave (and pay) as described below.   

    Parental leave

    As long as both parents are working in Denmark, they are entitled to 48 weeks of paid parental leave, taken in the following way:

    • 2 weeks after birth are obligatory for per parent
    • 8 weeks (transferable) for each parent, which have to be used before the child’s first birthday
    • 9 weeks of parental leave is earmarked for each parent
    • 5 weeks (transferable) can be taken before the child’s ninth birthday

    It is possible to extend the leave by an additional eight or 14 weeks; however, the pay remains the same and will be spread to cover the extra weeks, decreasing the weekly amount. 

    Employed parents have the right to postpone 8-13 weeks of parental leave, which only one parent at a time can do. The postponed parental leave must be taken continuously before the child turns nine.

    Employed parents can also agree with their employer to postpone the entire parental leave, which must be taken before the child turns nine years old.

    The Government has proposed a Bill according to which parents who give birth to two or mor children in one birth (twins etc.) will be entitled to additional 13 weeks (for each parent) parental leave. If adopted, the new rules will apply to parents to children born on 1 May 2024 or later.

    Bereavement leave

    There's no statutory bereavement leave. Any pay or leave is at the employer's discretion.

    Force majeure leave

    Employees are entitled to unpaid leave as a result of a relative's illness or accident.

    Carer's leave

    Employees have the right to time off to care for a close relative who is dying, is seriously ill or disabled. The government is responsible for carer's leave pay during such leave.

    If employers have already paid the employee's salary for the month, they can be reimbursed by the government equivalent to the allowance.

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