Everything You Need to Know About Danish Vacation Law

In Denmark, employees are entitled to a minimum of five weeks of paid vacation per year, which is a significant portion of the total 37 weeks of paid time off they're allowed.

This generous vacation policy is a result of the country's labor laws, which prioritize work-life balance and employee well-being.

The Danish Holiday Act is administered by the Agency for Retention and Recruitment, which is part of the Ministry of Labour.

The agency deals with employment decisions locally, regionally, and nationally, and is split into 15 different offices, each focusing on a different aspect of their responsibilities.

The agency was founded in January 2014 to replace and combine two former agencies, The Labour Market Agency and The Agency for Retention and Recruitment.

FerieKonto, the holiday pay scheme, is one of the authorities that help administer the Danish Holiday Act.

A number of provisions of the act may be waived under collective bargaining, allowing for flexibility in certain situations.

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If the employee becomes ill before their holiday, they must inform their employer immediately. The days spent sick on their holiday can be used at a later stage.

You are entitled to 5 weeks of paid holiday each holiday year, as stated in the Holiday Act, which covers all employees in Denmark except managers with authority to influence daily operations.

You are entitled to 3 weeks of consecutive holiday in the main holiday period, which is from 1 May to 30 September. This can only be divided into shorter periods if you wish so yourself.

If an employee is sick at the start of a planned holiday, they are not obligated to start taking the holiday. If an employee gets sick during a planned holiday, they are entitled to a replacement holiday after 5 sick days during the holiday in the holiday year.

You are not obliged to take a holiday if you have not earned a salary or holiday allowance to finance the holiday with. Your employer can only order you to take a holiday for which you have earned salary or holiday allowance.

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Employees in Denmark will accumulate 2.08 days of paid holiday each month, which can be used immediately. Employees will accumulate holiday days over 12 months and have 16 months to use at least four weeks of them.

If an employee meets the required guidelines, they can trade their holiday days for pay at the end of the holiday year by filling out a form on the governmental website, Borger.dk.

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If you're planning to terminate your employment contract, you'll need to give your employer notice beforehand. The length of this notice period depends on how long you've worked for the company.

Employees who terminate their contract are only allowed to spend 25 days of holiday during the holiday year, and any unused days will be paid out as cash before you leave the job.

You can receive all of your accumulated holiday pay as payment if you terminate your contract due to retirement and receive a state pension (excluding early pension). This is a great perk for those who are looking to retire.

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If you become ill before your holiday, you should inform your employer immediately. You can then use the days you spent sick on your holiday at a later stage.

If you recover during your holiday, you can choose to come back to work or use the remainder of your holiday days. Just be sure to update your employer with your decision.

Your employer is responsible for covering the costs of a medical certificate if you became sick before your holiday.

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You accrue holidays between 1 September and 31 August in the following year, but you can use your holidays in the holiday year from 1 September to 31 December in the following year.

All employees in Denmark are covered by the Holiday Act, except managers with authority to influence the daily operations of the company.

You are entitled to 5 weeks of paid holiday each holiday year, which is calculated as 2.08 days of holiday per month, or 25 days in total.

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It takes 5 sick days during your holiday in the holiday year to be entitled to replacement holidays, unless you have earned less than 25 days' holiday, in which case you are entitled to replacement holidays after a proportionately lower number of sick days.

You can use the days spent sick on your holiday at a later stage, and if you recover throughout the holiday, you can decide to come back to work or use the remainder of your holiday days.

As a public sector employee, your holidays are calculated in hours instead of full days, with one holiday year being 185 hours, not including any extra holidays you may have agreed on.

You are entitled to at least 5 consecutive days of holiday, and if you have fewer than 5 days of holiday left, you are still entitled to take these consecutively.

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You're entitled to 3 weeks of consecutive holiday in the main holiday period, which runs from 1 May to 30 September. This can only be divided into shorter periods if you wish to do so yourself.

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You can take your remaining holidays at any time during the year, but you're entitled to at least 5 consecutive days of holiday. If you have fewer than 5 days of holiday left, you can still take these consecutively.

The main holiday period is a specific time of the year, and it's essential to be aware of it to plan your holidays accordingly.

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The transition period for implementing the new holiday scheme in Denmark was from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2020. This allowed employees to earn holiday days without accumulating double the amount.

During the transition period, employees could claim the 16.64 days obtained from 1 January 2019 to 31 August 2019, and the holiday period commenced on 1 May 2020 until 31 August 2020. Any unused holiday days were carried over to the new scheme.

The transition scheme ensured that employers could avoid paying for up to ten weeks of holiday in one year, and employers had to manually calculate the due vacation pay for each employee by 31 December 2020.

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The Holiday Act has a rich history in Denmark, dating back to 1938 when it was established, giving workers the right to two weeks of paid holiday.

The law was a significant step forward, and it paved the way for the creation of the organisation, 'People's Holiday' (Danish: 'Folkeferie'), which aimed to support and provide holiday opportunities for workers.

By 1979, paid holiday days had increased to five weeks, providing workers with even more time to relax and recharge.

The most recent amendment to the act was made in 2018, with the Danish Parliament formulating changes to comply with European Union legislation.

In 2020, the new law came into effect, and a transitional arrangement was put in place in 2019 to ensure a smooth transition for workers.

Here's a brief timeline of the key changes to the Holiday Act:

The transition period for the new holiday scheme in Denmark was implemented from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2020. This was done to prevent employees from accumulating double the amount of holiday days during the switch.

The transition period allowed employees to earn holiday days, which were then kept in a new fund (Lønmodtagernes Dyrtidsfond) and disbursed once the employee left the labour market. This included retirement, death, early retirement, and leaving Denmark.

During the transition period, the holiday period commenced on 1 May 2020 and ended on 31 August 2020. Employees could claim the 16.64 days they earned from 1 January 2019 to 31 August 2019 during this time.

Employers could access 8.3 paid holiday days in addition to their accumulated holiday, known as 'fund holidays', during the transition phase. These additional fund holiday allowances were disbursed from the new fund (Lønmodtagernes Dyrtidsfond) in the holiday period rather than with retirement.

To avoid paying for up to ten weeks of holiday in one year, employers had to manually calculate the due vacation pay for each employee at the end of the transition period. They then reported this data to FerieKonto/Feriepengeinfo or the new fund (Lønmodtagernes Fond for Tilgodehavende Feriemidler) by 31 December 2020.

Unused holiday days from the transition period were carried over to the new scheme. Ultimately, employees' due holiday pay for the transition period became savings in their vacation fund, called Lønmodtagernes Feriemidler in Danish, which they could access upon retirement or when they left Denmark.

Denmark's policy change will allow people to take a "concurrent holiday", where they earn and use vacation days as they go, rather than getting a bank of days at the beginning of the year.

This change is designed to be fairer for all, ending the need for some people to work for up to 16 months before they can take the leave they've earned.

Employees will now earn 2.08 days of paid leave per month, which they can use immediately, rather than having to wait until the next holiday season.

They can take paid leave without having to deduct pay from their salaries, and even use unused vacation days before they're due with their employer's agreement.

This new policy will give employees more flexibility in planning and taking time off, allowing them to enjoy a break from work during the same calendar year that they earned it.

Danes can finally say goodbye to the long wait of cashing in their vacation time, and start taking leaves without the need to wait a whole year.

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In Denmark, public holidays are a significant aspect of vacation law. Employees do not have to work on public holidays unless otherwise stated in their contract.

The Danish government recognizes several national holidays, which are typically observed on weekdays from Monday to Friday. These include New Year's Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Great Prayer Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.

If a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is not moved to the next working day, and employees do not receive any extra time off for the holiday.

Here is a list of the recognized national holidays in Denmark:

Some industries may also observe additional holidays, such as 1 May, Constitution Day, and Christmas Eve, which are not classified as national holidays but are still widely celebrated.