Employment in the Capital Region of Denmark

Letter of appointment
When you have been appointed to a job at one of the workplaces in the region, you will receive a letter of appointment, which you are to sign if you can affirm the content. In the letter information on the following will appear:

• Place of employment
• Commencement date of employment
• Working hours
• Pay details
• Pension details
• Other matters of relevance to your employment

Most employees are appointed on ordinary terms and conditions with a 37-hour contract and the rights and duties stated in the agreement between the employers’ and the employees’ organisations. Among other things, this implies a three-month probation period during which you and your workplace will find out if you are in fact a good match. During this period your employer will have a two-week notice requirement while your own notice requirement will be just one day. After the probation period the notice will depend on the length of your employment in the region.

Pay details
Salary and employment conditions are always fixed in accordance with the agreement between Danish Regions, the interest organisation of the five regions, and the professional organisation within your working area.

As a guideline, a graduate nurse is paid about DKK 23,000 per month and a basic doctor about DKK 28,500. Both amounts are for 37 hours per week and should be taken with reservation.

Your basic salary will depend on where in the region your job is placed as well as on your number of years in service and educational background. Your final placement will be determined on the basis of an individual assessment of your competences and qualifications and will be fixed through a negotiation between your employer, your shop steward, and possibly yourself. Usually this takes place at the beginning of your employment.

As a supplement you may obtain extra payments by doing evening, night and weekend shifts and by having special competences.

Your salary will be paid into your bank account in arrears at the end of each month.

Pension details
Every month you will pay part of your salary into a pension saving scheme in a pension fund. As of the fall of 2009 the contribution constitutes between 13 and 16 percent of your salary. You are to pay one third of the contribution yourself while your employer is to pay two thirds.

In addition, you will pay contributions to the compulsory ATP Lifelong Pension through your salary. Also here you will pay one third of the contribution yourself while your employer pays the rest.

Holiday entitlements
Under ordinary employment terms and conditions you are entitled to six weeks of holiday per year. You will accrue holiday pay through your employment in the region. You should note that you will only have accrued enough holiday benefits for five of the weeks after having been employed by the region for a year. You may take an unpaid holiday sooner, but you must naturally make arrangements about it with your employer.

In Denmark the holiday year runs from 1 May to 30 April the following year. During this period you may spend the holiday pay accrued between 1 January and 31 December the previous year. In other words, the holiday pay you have accrued in 2009 must be spent between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011.

Additional employment
You should note that in many places in the region you will be informed in your letter of appointment that you are not permitted to have additional employment in your home country while employed by the Capital Region of Denmark. Such employment may incur substantial contributions to the social and health care services of your home country on your employer.

Confidentiality
During and after your employment with the Capital Region of Denmark you are under a duty of silence. This implies that your are not permitted to pass on information considered to be confidential.