Danish holiday rules might be in violation of European law, claims the European Commission.
According to the EU, each citizen should be entitled to a minimum of four weeks paid holiday each year. In Denmark however, certain circumstances prevent workers from going on a paid holiday in the year they accrued it.
A person starting a new job in Denmark accrues holiday pay that can only be used in the following holiday-year, which starts in May. If the person has no holiday pay saved up from a previous job, that person will not be allowed to go on a paid holiday until the following year. In some cases this can mean a period of up to a year without a paid holiday.
In a formal notice sent to the Danish parliament on September 25, the European Commission accuses the Danish scheme to be in violation of the European working-time directive.
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Two months notice
The Danish government have been given two months to prepare a written reply in response to the notice.
"I can confirm we have received a formal notice regarding Danish holiday rules, and that all parties have been notified," said employment minister, Henrik Dam Kristensen, in an email to Altinget
"The government is currently preparing a written reply. I will say no more until we know more regarding the case."
