New workers in Denmark to get holiday pay

Year-long wait for fun money could soon be over

Aug 31, 2015

If a government panel set up to make changes to holiday pay legislation has its way, the practice of joining the job market and having to wait between one and two years to get your money could soon be coming to an end.

Currently, if a new worker starts a job on January 1 they will actually have to wait 16 months for their holiday pay, which is measured from May 1 to April 30.

Violating EU rules
The European Commission filed a case against Denmark last year, stating that the regulations forcing an employee to work a minimum of one year before being eligible for holiday money violated EU regulations.

The former government at first appeared reluctant to play ball, but according to the new order’s labour minister, Jørn Neergaard Larsen, the government has after “continued reflection” decided to change the law.

“Legislation pertaining to an international co-operation that we are a part of is that one should have the right to take a holiday with pay in the same year that you earn it,” Larsen told Politiken.

Employer group sceptical
However, the national confederation of Danish employers, Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening (DA), has expressed scepticism regarding the proposal, stating that the current system worked and was well-integrated.

They did, though, acknowledge that EU regulations may require the change to be made.

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