Illness

Receiving pay whilst ill

Whether you’re entitled to receive pay during illness depends on your employment, collective agreements and how long your ill.

If you are a salaried employee, you will be paid during illness. 

If you are not a salaried employee, it depends on your employment and your contract whether you get paid during illness.

Receiving sickness benefits (sygedagpenge)

Your sickness benefits are paid out by The City of Copenhagen. If you fall ill for a longer period of time, and can no longer receive pay, your employer will contact the municipality, so they can pay you sickness benefits.

If you are pregnant and you get ill with a pregnancy related condition, you employer has to contact Udbetaling Danmark and not the department for sickness benefits of the City of Copenhagen. It is Udbetaling Danmark that pays out benefits if you are signed off sick with a pregnancy related condition. 

You can get money from Udbetaling Danmark if you are not entitled to pay during illness. Whether you are entitled to this, depends on your terms of employment.

It is also Udbetaling Danmark that pays out maternity maintenance.

Sick leave

Whether or not you are entitled to sick leave depends on your terms of employment, and you will therefore have to talk to your employer about your right to sick leave.

If your child is sick

In Denmark there is an arrangement called ‘the child’s first sick day’, which entitles you to time off work the first day your child is sick. Whether or not you are entitled to paid leave in your child’s first sick day will depend on your contract or the rules at your workplace.

You also have the right to take time off from work if your child becomes acutely ill or is injured. However, whether you are entitled to paid leave or not, depends on your collective agreement or contract.

Taking a leave of absence

If a family member has fallen seriously ill or is dying, you may be in a situation of having to take a leave of absence from work. You will have to apply for this.

You can find more information, as well as the right form you will need to fill out, here.