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Working hours according to the collective agreement

For contract employees (not under the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations)

Working hours for contract employees (not under the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations)

The majority of employees on a collective agreement basis in the state follow either the rules in the state's working hours agreement or the rules in the Collective Agreement for Academics (Danish Confederation ofProfessional Associations) .

The multi-union collective agreement of the Organisations of PublicEmployees - Denmark (OAO-S) stipulates that the state's working hours agreement applies, unless otherwise stated in the individual organisation agreement.

This applies for i.a. employees covered by the collective agreement for administrative officers, laboratory technicians and IT workers (HK), the organisation agreement for cleaning assistants and specialist workers etc. employed by the state (3F) and the organisation agreement for artisans employed by the state.

The normal weekly working time for a full-time employee is 37 hours, spread equally over the five working days of the week. The 37 hours are calculated over a standard period, typically one month. However, there are collective agreements/organisational agreements which, for example, contain a 4-week, quarterly or annual norm.
Part-time employment can commence when the collective agreement or the organisational agreement allows for this. If you are employed on a part-time basis, working hours and wages are reduced proportionately.
You are entitled to a paid lunch break, provided that it lasts less than 30 minutes and that you are available to your employer and do not leave the workplace without permission (unless otherwise agreed upon with your manager).
The right to a paid lunch break does not apply to employees under agreements which explicitly state that the lunch break is unpaid.

When the standard working hours are exceeded, it counts as overtime. For part-time employees, overtime in relation to standard working hours follows the full-time standard (i.e. 37 hours). Until this is fulfilled, only ordinary hourly wages are provided for the extra hours.
The standard period is typically one month. However, some collective agreements/organisational agreements operate with the standard for a 4-week, quarterly or annual norm.

 

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Last Updated 16.02.2026