Vacation Time in Denmark: Serious Business!

Take a look at an email message we received recently from our department at the University of Aarhus.

Note the amount of annual vacation Danes are entitled to by law.

Also note how they are forbidden to not take their vacation time:

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To all employees

The department's vacation policy is that the 5 weeks
ordinary holidays should be taken as follows

1 week during the period January 1-April 30
3 weeks during the periode May 1-September 30
1 week during the period October 1-December 31.

The new vacation year starts on May 1.

Please check (via the University's on-line
vacation system) how much vacation you've
earned (ordinary vacation and 'special
vacation days), how much you've taken and
how much you still need to take within the
present vacation year. According to Danish
law you cannot renounce your vacation.
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Maternity leave and pay is exceptional as well. Some combination of both mothers and fathers can take up to a year off with full pay and a guarantee to be able to return to one's job. Their social welfare system is amazing, and really gives people a different kind of life than what we see in the U.S. You definitely get something for the 50%-65% income tax and the 25% sales tax that the Danish goverment imposes! :-)

Ken