8 Employment

Most people work

In Denmark, the vast majority of people work. This is true for both men and women.

Most are salaried employees working for private or public companies. But there is also a large self-employed business community with own businesses, restaurants, companies or agricultural activities.

Finding work

Before starting to look for work, you can seek advice from a careers adviser at your municipal authority job centre. If you are a member of a trade union or an unemployment fund* (a-kasse), you can seek help and advice there.

Job centres

The primary task of job centres is to help you find a job. This is also where you register if you are unemployed. Job centres have PCs which you can use to search for work, and job centre staff will help you prepare a job plan. You can find job centre addresses by logging onto www.jobnet.dk.

Many ways of finding work

You can actively seek employment by:

• Sending applications in response to job ads in the newspaper and trade journals.
• Send unsolicited applications to those companies where you would like to work, or apply to the company direct.
• Use your network of contacts already in the job market.
• Seek employment through private employment agencies.
• Search for jobs on the Internet (libraries and job centres provide access to the Internet).
• Place your own ad in a newspaper or on the Internet.

What skills do you already have?

Whether you should start with further training or immediately begin seeking work will depend on your skills and age. If you have no training, you can start by doing unskilled work, possibly after taking a few short courses.

Qualifications are necessary

To find a job in Denmark, you will require qualifications and skills that match the job opportunities that exist. Many jobs require a short- or long-term period of study. Nearly all jobs require special skills or the willingness to acquire them. This also applies to jobs where there are no major educational requirements, such as cleaning or factory work, for example, where you may have to learn a wide range of job functions. The same is true if you want to run your own shop or business.

Important to get started

Your first job may not be your dream job and may not pay a very high salary. But it is nonetheless important that you get started in the job market. For once you have a job, it is easier for you to develop your skills and qualifications so you can look for a better job.

Training and work

If you have an education and speak Danish, your chances of finding a good job are excellent. And in many cases, speaking Danish as well as your native tongue will prove an advantage.

If you have few qualifications and speak little Danish, finding a job can prove very difficult. But there are various options open to you that can improve your chances of finding work. You can take a language course, gain on-the-job experience in a company or take a subsidised job in the public sector, for example. Later, you will be employed under normal conditions.

Application and job interview

It is easier to find work if you have a reasonable command of Danish. But even with good qualifications, finding a job can take time. It may require many applications and job interviews before the right opening comes along.

Written applications

Most employers ask for a written job application. Your job centre, your trade union or unemployment fund can all help you with your written job application. An application should fill a single page, and should include why you are applying for the job, your qualifications and experience, and a little information about yourself.

It is a good idea to enclose your CV, i.e. an overview of your educational qualifications, professional experience and leisure interests. It is also a good idea to enclose copies of examination certificates and references from former employers, work placements and job activation programme activities.

Job interviews

If you are called for a job interview, it is important to be well prepared. The employer will expect you to explain what you are good at, why you are right for the job and how you will contribute to the development of the company.

Use the interview to ask about things you would like to know about the job, the company and its expectations of you.

There will probably be more than one person present at the job interview. One of them might be an employee representative.

Employers place importance on the following:

Contract of employment

When you are hired, you will receive a contract of employment. This contains information about the most important terms and conditions of employment. These might be:

• Job description
• Salary and working hours
• Holidays
• Work times
• Period of notice

If you become unemployed

Unemployment insurance

When you start working, it is a good idea to join an unemployment fund*, a so-called a-kasse. This enables you to get help and financial assistance, unemployment benefit*, if you become unemployed. Unemployment fund contributions are tax deductible.

As an unemployed person, you must fulfil certain conditions to qualify for unemployment benefit. You must have been a member of an unemployment fund for one year and had a certain amount of work. Your unemployment fund must inform you about the exact details.

Apply to the job centre

If you lose your job, you must apply to the job centre in your municipal authority on the first day of being out of work.

Here, you will be registered as a job applicant. If you are a member of an unemployment fund, you will be given a benefit card which you will need to claim unemployment benefit from your unemployment fund.

If you are not a member of an unemployment fund, you may qualify for cash benefit or start aid. You are entitled to cash benefit if you have resided in Denmark in seven out of the last eight years. If you have not, and are unable to provide for yourself, you will receive start aid. Start aid is less than cash benefit.

Looking for work

As quickly as possible, and no later than one month after becoming unemployed, you must prepare a CV outlining your educational qualifications, professional experience, personal interests and skills. Your CV will be placed in the job centre's national database, jobbanken, at www.jobnet.dk. You must prepare your own CV and are responsible for the information it contains. But your job centre or unemployment fund can offer advice and help you to prepare it.

You must make yourself available to the job market.

You must make yourself available to the job market. This means that you must look for work and accept a job offer as soon as there is one. If you can not find a job, the job centre will help you to find one. You must attend those job interviews to which you are summoned. And accept those job offers which your municipal authority gives you as part of their job activation programme*. Job activation may include courses, on-the-job training or subsidised employment.

If you are in any doubt, consult your job centre or unemployment fund.

The Danish labour market

Agreements - the Danish model

In Denmark, many wage and working conditions are agreed between the employee and employer organisations. This takes place in collective agreements which are signed by the trade unions and employers' associations. Collective agreements contain regulations regarding your salary, working hours, training, pension and rules governing salary during illness and terms of notice. Denmark does not have a tradition of legislating in this area. This is why we talk about the "Danish labour market model".

No-strike agreement in the settlement period

Once a settlment has been reached, a no-strike period comes into force. Among other things, this means that employees are not allowed to strike or lock-out during the period of the settlement. If conflicts arise, they must be resolved by the labour market parties themselves without the state becoming involved in negotiations or finding a solution.

37 hours a week

Normal, full-time employment is 37 hours a week. As an employee you earn the right to paid holiday. All employees have the right to five weeks' holiday a year. Both men and women have the right to maternity leave. There are strict rules governing health and safety at work. Children under 13 are not allowed to work outside the home.

Trade unions

A tradition

In Denmark, there is a tradition for employees to be a member of a trade union. The trade unions safeguard the interests of their members in relation to employers, ensuring reasonable salary and working conditions. A trade union is not the same as an unemployment fund.

Ensures orderly conditions

There is also a tradition for employers to be members of organised associations. Most employers and their associations are happy to work together with trade unions. They see it as an advantage that employees thrive and feel satisfied in the workplace. At the same time, collective agreements ensure stability and orderly conditions in relation to wage increases, strikes and working hours.

Freedom of association

In Denmark, the principle of freedom of association applies. This means that it is up to the individual employee to decide whether to become a member of a trade union. For this reason, an employer may not demand trade union affiliations in connection with the hiring or dismissal of an employee. Nor can colleagues demand that a person join a particular trade union. Many employees decide to become a member of the trade union that has a collective agreement with their employer.

Typically, trade unions are divided up according to occupation and work area. Your choice of trade union will ultimately depend on your education and field of work. As a trade union member you must pay a membership fee.

Life in the workplace

The workplace plays a central role for most people

Workplaces differ greatly in Denmark. However, common to them all is the fact that they play a central role in most people's lives. A good working life with friendly colleagues and a positive working environment is a key part of any meaningful life.

The importance of collegial relations

To a great extent, it is up to the employees themselves to make their workplace a pleasant place in which to be. Here, collegial relations plays an important role.

Parties and alcohol in the workplace

At most workplaces, the consumption of alcohol is prohibited during working hours. On trips and at parties, however, it is accepted practice to drink alcohol.

Responsibility and initiative

Most employers expect their employees to work independently and show initiative. It is common for individual employees to be responsible for their own work areas. In many workplaces, employees work in teams to decide how they will solve tasks and distribute the workload.

Problems in the workplace

Various problems can arise in the workplace. Health and safety regulations may not be in order. Insufficient consideration may be given to the health of the employees. There may be a poor work atmosphere or you may even experience harassment, derision or threats. This is, of course, unacceptable.

Most workplaces have a trade union representative*

Most employees elect a trade union representative to represent their interests to the employer. The trade union representative is the trade union's representative in the workplace.

If you are experiencing problems at work or feel badly or unfairly treated, contact your trade union representative. He or she will then raise the problem with your employer or trade union. A trade union representative is protected against dismissal and can therefore act as a mediator in conflicts. If you do not have a trade union representative, you will have to contact your trade union or speak to the management.

Monitoring health and safety at work

Safeguarding a safe and healthy working environment is a responsibility that falls jointly to the employer and employees. The employer is responsible for providing and maintaining proper health and safety conditions for employees. The employees have a duty to comply with the safety regulations that apply to their place of work. Workplaces with more than 10 employees must have a safety organisation that comprises employee and management representatives and which assumes responsibility for daily health and safety at work. In workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, the employer and employees assume joint responsibility for health and safety at work.

Health and safety representative*

Many workplaces elect their own health and safety representative. The health and safety representative helps monitor health and safety to ensure that employees do not work on dangerous machinery and equipment, or work with hazardous substances without the correct safety equipment, or become stressed as a result of their work.

Speak to your health and safety representative if you feel that your working conditions are not as they should be. As in the case of the trade union representative, the health and safety representative is protected against dismissal.

Occupational injuries must be reported

All employers must insure their employees against occupational injuries and ensure that any such injuries are reported to the Danish Working Environment Authority* and the National Board of Industrial Injuries*. It is the employer's insurance company that pays out employee compensation.

You are always free to report an injury to the National Board of Industrial Injuries* in the event of a work accident. It is important that you report the incident within one year of the event. Otherwise you may lose out on compensation.

Discrimination

It is against the law to discriminate on the grounds of sex, age, disability, race, colour, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, nationality or social or ethnic origin.

The Danish Parliament has passed a law establishing an equal opportunities commission that deals with sexual discrimination. We refer to www.ligenaevn.dk for further details. The Institute for Human Rights has appointed a complaints committee for ethnic equality. Its task is to deal with discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin. We refer to www.klagekomite.dk for further details.

All discrimination cases can be brought before the ordinary courts.

If you are a member of a trade union and are experiencing discrimination at work or in connection with seeking new employment, you can contact your union and ask them for help.

Starting your own business

Rules and regulations

Starting your own business requires a good amount of forethought and preparation. There are a number of laws and regulations with which you need to be familiar. The purpose of these is to protect citizens and employees against poor hygiene and occupational injuries, and to ensure that businesses do not commit tax and VAT fraud.

Seek advice and guidance before you begin.

You can get help from your local business development centre, from a start-up consultant, from SKAT (the Danish tax authorities) and your job centre. The Internet can also provide you with an overview of advice options as well as information regarding laws, regulations, financing and other topics relevant to starting your own business. We refer to www.virk.dk for further details.

Your unemployment fund can also advise you about how starting your own business will affect your ability to claim unemployment benefit*.

Company registration

As a general rule, all companies must register with the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency. This is optional, however, if your annual earnings are less than DKK 50,000. Once the company has been registered, you will receive a CBR-number (Central Business Register), which is the company's identification number. You will need your CBR-number, for example, when it comes to completing your tax and VAT declaration. You can register your company by logging onto www.eogs.dk.

Trade and drinking licence

All companies that sell more than DKK 50,000 of foodstuffs per year must be registered in a special business register. In this connection, foodstuffs are taken to mean any kind of foodstuffs, beer, wine, soft drinks and other foodstuffs regardless of whether they are in sealed packaging.

The Danish Catering and Restaurant Act applies to all self-employed businesses that serve food and drinks. Such businesses might be restaurants, bars, discotheques, pizzerias, grill bars or hot dog stands.

The Danish Catering and Restaurant Act stipulates which regulations must be complied with when persons or companies apply for a trade or drinking licence. If you apply for a drinking licence, you must meet certain age requirements and be able to provide a financial business plan.

The police are responsible for issuing trade licences to businesses without a drinking licence, whereas municipal authorities are responsible for issuing drinking licences. In Copenhagen, however, it is the municipal authority that issues trade licences.

A restaurant can apply for a drinking licence, and the restaurant kitchen must live up to certain requirements from the health authorities.

Tax and VAT

You must file trading and business accounts with the Danish tax authorities, also known as SKAT.

Insuring employees

If your company employs staff, you must take out employer's liability insurance to cover them.

I now have two employees

Mansur Sheik emigrated from Somalia to Denmark in 1993. He trained as a mason and is now self-employed.

"I thought about it for a number of years before deciding to become self-employed. I thought it might be a problem that Danes weren't used to seeing an immigrant as a self-employed mason. But that hasn't been the case. Customers are happy as long as you are good at your job and do the best you can. My work brings me into close contact with a lot of people, so I've discovered that Danes are just as different as everyone else.

Now I have two employees, a Dane and a Vietnamese, and I enjoy being an employer. My advice is: be yourself. Many immigrants are scared of failure; there's no need. There's room for us."