Danish employment contracts
Find out what a Danish employment contract should include, which employment laws and collective agreements may apply to you, and how salary negotiations typically work in Denmark.
Employment law and collective agreements
Most public sector employees in Denmark are covered by a collective agreement. In the private sector, this is less common. If your employer is not covered by a collective agreement, your employment is still protected by Danish legislation, including the Working Environment Act, the Holidays Act, the Equal Treatment Act and the Sick Pay Act.
What should a Danish employment contract include?
- The employer's and employee's names and addresses
- The workplace address
- Your job title or a description of your duties
- Your start date and, if applicable, the end date of a fixed-term or project-based contract
- Holiday entitlement, including whether you receive paid holiday
- Notice periods for termination of employment
- Your salary, any supplements and pension contributions
- Your working hours, including any agreement on overtime
- The applicable collective agreement, if any
- Any other terms that affect your employment
Trade union agreements
Collective agreements in Denmark are negotiated between employers' organisations and trade unions without the involvement of the government or parliament. The agreements set out terms such as pay, working hours and other conditions of employment for specific sectors.
Employers that are covered by a collective agreement are generally expected to apply its terms to non-union employees as well.
Most collective agreements are valid for one to four years. When they expire, the parties negotiate a new agreement.
The Danish Salaried Employees Act
Many employees in Denmark are covered by the Danish Salaried Employees Act, Funktionærloven. Funktionærloven sets out important rules on the employment relationship, including notice periods, sick leave, parental leave, and non-competition and non-solicitation clauses.
Funktionærloven typically applies to employees working in administrative, commercial or technical roles, as well as certain clinical and managerial positions. If you are unsure whether you are covered, ask your employer or trade union.
Negotiating your salary in Denmark
Your salary may be agreed in different ways. It can be negotiated individually between you and your employer or determined through a collective agreement negotiated by a trade union.
You may also be able to negotiate employee benefits in addition to your salary. These can include, for example, pension contributions, extra holiday, flexible working arrangements or other workplace benefits. Check with your employer or trade union to find out what applies to your workplace.
See our page about salaries when working in Denmark
Full-time working hours in Denmark
Collective agreements often set out pay, working hours and other terms of employment.
As a general rule, full-time employment in Denmark is based on a 37-hour working week. Shift workers and employees on permanent night shifts may have shorter working hours.
Working hours, including overtime, must not exceed an average of 48 hours per week.
Working in both Denmark and Sweden
If you work in both Denmark and Sweden, your Danish employment contract may include a clause restricting work in Sweden while you are employed in Denmark.
This is because your employer may become subject to Swedish social security legislation if you also work in Sweden. In that case, the employer may have to pay Swedish social security contributions, which can increase employment costs.
If you have questions about working in both Denmark and Sweden, contact the Øresunddirekt Information Centre.
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