Employment contract and terms & conditions

If you get a job, or if there are major changes to your current job, your employer must draw up a contract for you or make sure that the old one is updated. Find out what to look for in the contract here.

New job? Read here about how to safeguard your terms & conditions through your employment contract. Please note that the feedback on your employment contract will be in Danish.

Unemployed? Get a guide to registering as unemployed.

When should you get the contract, and what should it contain?
Are you a ‘salaried employee’, or should you be?
Temporary employment
Download a standard employment contract
We will check your contract for you

When should you get the contract, and what should it contain?

It does not matter whether it is called a contract or a statement of particulars, it is one and the same thing.

If you have been employed for more than one month, and if you work more than eight hours a week, your boss must see to it that you receive a written contract.

You are entitled to get your contract no later than one month after starting work. We recommend that you have your contract in place before starting your new job. If you change job, we also recommend that you obtain your contract before handing in notice to your current employer.

What your employment contract should contain

This is what must be in your contract by law

    □     Your and your employer's name and adress
    □     The adress of your workplace
    □     The position you are employed in, and what you have to do
    □     When you start the job
    □     How long your employment is for in the case of a temporary job
    □     Whether you get holiday with pay or holiday pay
    □     Notice periods
    □     Your pay and when you will recieve it
And any other allowances such as pension contributions or board and lodging
    □     Your normal working hours
    □     The collective agreements or other agreements you are covered by (if any)

Section 2 (1) of the Danish Act on the Employer’s Obligation to Inform Employees of the Conditions Applicable to the Employment Relationship (Ansættelsesbevisloven

Other things to clarify

    □     Extra holiday entitlements and other days off
    □     Sick pay entitlement
    □     Entitlement to time off with pay if your child is ill
    □     Maternity pay entitlement
    □     Pension entitlement
    □     Fringe benefits, e.g. health insurance, lunch scheme, etc.

Even if you are over the moon about your new job, it is important to check your employment contract properly.

Are you a ‘salaried employee’, or should you be perhaps?

Whether or not you are an employee enjoying the statutory protection of a ‘salaried employee’ as defined in the Danish Salaried Employees Act (Funktionærloven) depends on the type of work you do, not on how you are paid.

If you are mainly paid on an hourly basis, you may still be a ‘salaried employee’, and conversely you are not necessarily a ‘salaried employee’ if you are paid on a monthly basis.

In order to qualify as a ‘salaried employee’, you must be in an employment relationship and employed to work more than eight hours a week.
If you are employed as a temp through a temping agency, you are not in an employment relationship and so will not be covered by the Danish Salaried Employees Act even if you work in a white-collar post.

Temporary employment

If you are a temporary employee, you are employed until a specific date or until a specific task has been completed. This can include being employed until someone on long-term sick leave returns to work.

If you are employed in a temporary post, you are basically entitled to the same terms of pay and employment as your permanent colleagues.

Can the contract be extended?

Yes, as long as there are objective reasons, an employer may extend your contract. This includes temporary employment to cover maternity leave, sick leave, etc.

Read more about your rights as a temporary employee.

Download a standard employment contract

If you need a standard template for an employment contract, you can download one here.

We will check your contract for you

If you get a new contract, or if you want to be sure that your current contract is in order, send it to us and we will go through it, then let you have our comments. To do this, complete the following form and attach your contract.

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