Working conditions || page 19
Unemployment insurance
Working hours & vacation
company goes bankrupt, employers usually pay earned holiday benefits into an independent holiday account (Feriekonto). When you take time off, you get paid from this account.
Because unemployment insurance in Denmark is
The standard work week in Denmark is 37 hours di-
voluntary, you are not automatically entitled to
vided over five days. Most people work their hours
benefits if you lose your job. In order to receive
Monday - Friday between 6:00am and 6:00pm.
Holiday pay is earned between 1 January and 31
unemployment benefits you need to be a paying
Lunch breaks are normally 30 minutes. In the public
December, but not made available until 1 May the
member of an unemployment insurance fund
sector lunch breaks are paid for as regular working
following year. That means that if you started wor-
(A-kasse). Unemployment insurance funds are
hours; in the private sector, the lunch break is gener-
king on 1 January 2010, you cannot take any paid
private associations that are affiliated with trade
ally not considered as part of your working hours.
vacation until 1 May 2011. Employees are entitled to three consecutive weeks of time off between 1 May
unions and other professional organisations. Working hours are not regulated by law, instead If you are insured and you lose your job through no
they are set by collective bargaining agreements or
fault of your own, you are entitled to unemployment
individual contracts.
and 30 September. When you leave Denmark, you can withdraw the entire amount you have in your holiday account by
benefits from the first day you are out of work. To qualify for benefits, you must be registered with the
Employees have the right to a minimum of five
contacting fund administrator ATP. Information
local Job Centre and you must have been a member
weeks of holidays per year, earned at a rate of 2.08
about how to claim unused holiday pay can be found
of an unemployment insurance fund for at least a
days per month. If you have worked less than one
at www.atp.dk.
year. Furthermore, you must have worked full-time
year, you still have the right to take five weeks off,
for at least 52 weeks over the past three years.
but you will only be paid for the number of days off
Most workplaces are also covered by collective
you have earned. To protect employees from losing
agreements that provide employees with additional
their holiday pay if they change companies or if their
time off on public holidays.
Public holidays (2010) New Year's Day
1 January
Whit Monday
Maundy Thursday
1 April
Constitution Day
Good Friday
2 April
Christmas Eve
24 December
Easter Monday
5 April
Christmas Day
25 December
General Prayer Day
30 April
Ascension Day
13 May
24 May 5 June
Second Day of Christmas 26 December