Leave in Denmark

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

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 DKK 5,085 a week or DKK 137.43 an hour.

Women are entitled to 4 weeks’ leave before giving birth and 14 weeks after (of which the first two weeks are mandatory).

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 parental benefit (barselsdagpenge) from the municipality during the paternity leave.

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

After that, the parents are entitled to 14 weeks of leave, which can only be taken by one parent at a time. Throughout the leave, the parents are entitled to parental benefits (barselsdagpenge). After the 14 weeks, the parents are entitled to parental leave (and benefits) as described below.

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 has 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.

Parents who give birth to two or more children in one birth (twins, etc.) will be entitled to an additional 13 weeks (for each parent) of parental leave. The rule will apply to parents of children born on 1 May 2024 or later.

As a parent, you may be entitled to up to 26 weeks of bereavement leave with parental benefits if your child is stillborn or dies before the age of 18. This type of leave is called bereavement leave (sorgorlov).

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

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 the 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.

Employees are entitled to 25 paid days off per “holiday year” which starts on 1 September and ends on 31 August the following calendar year. If an employee is hired during that period, they are still entitled to 25 days off, however only the ones they have accrued are paid. The rest are unpaid, and in fact, the employer can deduct 4.8% of monthly salary for each day taken. The same rule applies for force majeure leave as a result of a relative’s illness or accident. Unless otherwise agreed, the employer can deduct that same percentage for each day taken.