In Denmark it is not the government but the social partners that agree upon the regulations of the labour market. The regulations are written in an agreement between your union and an employers’ organisation/ your company. In Denmark there is no statutory minimum wage. Therefore, you always need to know for which company you work, and whether your employer has a collective agreement. In this regard your local union is always available with help and guidance.

In Denmark you must have an employment contract containing:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Type of pay – hourly or piecework
• CPR/CVR-number
• Date of commencement
• Info regarding the collective agreement

The employment contract must be signed in two copies by your employer and yourself.

The wage is agreed upon between you and your employer based on the collective agreement. The minimum wage depends on your trade group. Remember that the minimum wage only is the starting point for the negotiation. In the box below you find some of the rates, applying from March 2022 until February 2023. And the average rate reflecting the minimum wage + the result of the local negotiation.

Each employee working for a company covered by a collective agreement must receive a paycheck at every payroll. The paycheck must include information such as:

• Hourly pay
• Working hours
• Overtime pay
• Sick pay
• Holiday pay
• Pensions pay
• Compensation for loss of earnings on public holidays (SH)

If you see “on-account amount” on your paycheck, you must check whether it corresponds to the amount that has actually been paid out to you in cash.

If your employer is a member of an employers’ organisation or is covered by an accession agreement, you are covered by a pension scheme. The total contribution is in most cases 12 % of your total monthly pay, of which you must pay 4 % yourself, while the rest is paid by your employer.

Many pension funds offer a healthcare scheme which means that you may have access to free treatments such as massage or physiotherapy. There is also a range of insurances associated with your pension e.g. in case of your death or critical illness. Ask your union about the rules for your company.

According to Danish law you are entitled to 25 holidays with allowance every year. The allowance is equivalent to 12.5% of your pay. You will earn 2,08 days per month, and holidays can be held from September 1 until December 31 in the following year. The collective agreements grant you additionally 1 week (the 6. holiday week). You are entitled to 15 consecutive days of holiday (3 weeks) in the period from May 1 until September 30.