Illness in the family

The rules on leave in connection with your child’s first and second sickness day are described in the collective agreement that applies to your conditions of employment.

Most employees at SDU will be entitled to absence in accordance with §14 of the collective agreement (in Danish only) if the service allows it and if approved by the immediate manager.

This implies that you are entitled to leave of absence in connection with care of a sick child on the child’s first and second sickness day, when:

1. it is necessary for the welfare of the child
2. circumstances at the workplace permit
3. the child is under 18 years of age and
4. the child lives at home.

The second sickness day is the calendar day immediately following the child’s first sickness day, regardless of whether it is a working day or a non-working day.

The first and second sickness days may be taken independently of each other, i.e. an employee may take the child’s second sickness day without having taken the first sickness day. Parents may therefore also share the two sickness days between them, with one parent taking the first day and the other taking the second day.

In the event of a child’s continued illness, you may use e.g. holidays, care days or saved time.

If you are paid by the hour, you are entitled to pay in the event of absence due to the child’s first and second sickness day to the same extent as you are entitled to pay during sickness. If you are not entitled to pay in case of illness, you are not entitled to paid absence on a child’s first and second sickness day either.

In accordance with the Danish Parental Leave Act (Lov om ret til dagpenge og orlov ved barsel), if you are entitled to unemployment benefits in connection with caring for seriously ill children under the age of 18, you are entitled to full or partial leave with pay during the same period.

If, in accordance with the Danish Social Services Act (Lov om social service), you are granted a care allowance for looking after a close relative who wishes to die at home, you are entitled to full or partial paid leave for the same period.

You are entitled to paid leave for up to five days per child within 12 consecutive months for your hospitalisation with a child under 14 years of age who lives with you.

The same applies if the child stays at home during hospitalisation or receives outpatient treatment, which takes the place of hospitalisation and which requires your presence. The five days can be held separately or consecutively.

It is also possible for you and your manager to agree that you take the five days as 10 half days, for example. If both parents are covered by the agreement, the total period of paid leave may not exceed five days for both parents combined.

You are entitled to unpaid leave as a result of force majeure when compelling family reasons arise in the event of illness or accident, which make your immediate presence urgently necessary.

Periods of unpaid leave are not included in the wage seniority calculations, and pension rights will not be earned.

Employees are entitled to compassionate leave for up to 5 days a year to provide care or support to a relative in connection with illness. Your own children, parents, spouse or partner or a person living in the same household as you are considered relatives. The leave is without pay. The days can be held successively or as individual days. Unused days lapse by the end of the year. Your employer may require you to provide documentation of the need for compassionate leave.

If, within a calendar year, the employee has been absent ‘to care for next of kin with disabilities, chronic or long-term illness’ or ‘to care for next of kin who wish to die in their own home’, this absence shall be deducted from the right to compassionate leave.

The municipality may grant compensation for lost earnings in accordance with §42 of the Danish Social Services Act if you care at home for a child under 18 years of age with a significant and permanent physical or mental disability or a severe chronic or long-term condition. In such situations, you may be granted unpaid leave.

In addition, you may be employed by the municipality to care for a close relative at home because the relative has a significant and permanent physical or mental disability or severe chronic or long-term (including incurable) illness. In this case, you are also entitled to unpaid absence.

Check with your manager or SDU HR if you are in doubt as to whether you are covered by the circular on leave of absence for family reasons.

For all employees, however, the law on employees’ right to absence from work for special family reasons, which gives the right to absence in connection with the following, applies:

1. force majeure
2. employment by the municipality for care of close relatives with disabilities, chronic or long-term illness and care of close relatives who wish to die at home.

See the descriptions above.