Employment contract in Denmark: Template, Key Clauses and Local Law (2026)

What the law requires in Denmark Denmark runs a distinctive labour model often called flexicurity: it is relatively easy to hire and let go, but employees are supported by strong rights and a dense network of collective agreements. There is no single employment code. Instead the rules come from several statutes, the most important being the Salaried Employees Act (funktionaerloven) for white collar staff, plus collective agreements that cover a large share of the workforce. Every employer must give the employee written information about the essential terms of employment. This duty was modernised when Denmark implemented the EU Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions (2019/1152), which took effect in 2023 and widened both the information that must be provided and the workers it covers. The written statement must be given soon after the start of work. This page is general information, not legal advice. Because collective agreements can change many terms, check which agreement, if any, applies. ## Who the Salaried Employees Act covers The Salaried Employees Act applies to salaried employees (funktionaerer): broadly, those doing office work, technical or clinical work, buying and selling, or supervising others, who work more than a set number of hours a week. It sets mandatory, non-waivable rules on notice, sick pay, holiday with the Holiday Act, and restrictions on non-compete and non-solicitation clauses. Employees not covered by the Act, such as many manual workers, are usually covered instead by a collective agreement that provides equivalent or better terms. ## Written terms the statement must include Following the 2023 changes, the written statement must cover the essential terms, including: - The identity of the parties and the place of work.

• The title or a description of the work.
• The start date, and for a fixed term its end date or expected duration.
• Pay, including supplements, and when and how it is paid.
• Working hours and any predictability of the work pattern.
• Paid leave, including holiday entitlement.
• Notice periods.
• Any probationary period.
• Any applicable collective agreement.
• Rights to training provided by the employer. ## A Danish employment contract template you can adapt ``` EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT (ANSAETTELSESKONTRAKT) Employer: [company name, CVR number, address] Employee: [full name, address] Date: [date] 1. POSITION AND PLACE OF WORK Title: [title]. Duties: [description]. Place of work: [address]. 2. START DATE AND TYPE Employment begins on [date]. This is [permanent / fixed term ending [date]]. [The employee is / is not a salaried employee under the Salaried Employees Act.] 3. PROBATION A probationary period of [up to 3] months applies, during which notice is [14 days / as agreed], stated in writing before work begins. 4. WORKING HOURS Ordinary hours are [hours] per week, worked [pattern]. 5. PAY Salary is [amount] per month, paid on [date], plus [pension, supplements, bonus]. 6. HOLIDAY The employee accrues holiday under the Holiday Act: the right to 5 weeks of paid holiday per year, with concurrent accrual and taking. 7. PENSION The employer contributes [percentage] to a pension scheme [per the collective agreement, if any]. 8. NOTICE Notice is given under the Salaried Employees Act [or the applicable collective agreement], running to the end of a calendar month. 9. SICKNESS Salaried employees are entitled to full pay during sickness under the Salaried Employees Act. 10. COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT [Name any applicable collective agreement, or state none applies.] 11. CONFIDENTIALITY AND RESTRAINTS [Confidentiality; any non-compete or non-solicitation clause only within the limits of the Act on employment clauses.] Signed: Employer ____________ Employee ____________ Date ______