EN
HR Legal

Act on salary compensation scheme under the coronavirus passed

logo
Legal news
calendar 21 April 2020
globus Denmark

The Danish government and the labour market partners have agreed on an extension of the salary compensation scheme for an additional month. This means that companies can apply until and including 8 July 2020. You can read more about the salary compensation scheme, and the extension, here.

As a direct consequence of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), a serious financial impact has and is still causing substantial declines in productivity and turnover levels and is, as a result, triggering huge numbers of redundancies. The Danish government has, therefore, just passed the bill on the new tripartite agreement with the Danish social partners allowing for the implementation of the temporary salary compensation scheme for employees otherwise facing termination. Combined with several other measures, the salary compensation scheme is an important step from the Danish government in its attempt to mitigate the serious effects resulting from this extraordinary situation on the labour market.

With the new bill, the Danish government has established a temporary salary compensation scheme for companies that has employees who would otherwise face mass redundancy. Companies, who are extraordinarily financially affected by the outbreak and who would otherwise need to proceed to termination of at least 30 % of its workforce or minimum 50 employees, are eligible. Calculation of the total number of employees to be used is based on information from the Danish Central Business Register (CVR) and includes employees who were employed by the company before 9 March 2020. Contrary to other schemes, this scheme does not presume the existence of any collective bargaining agreement or collective agreement.

Companies wishing to benefit from the new scheme must send employees home with their full salary during the salary compensation period. Employees may be sent home with one day’s notice. At the same time, it is also a condition that employees do not perform any work during the salary compensation period.

Pursuant to the salary compensation scheme, companies will receive:

  • Up to 75 % (but maximum DKK 30,000) for employees subject to the Salaried Employees Act
  • Up to 90 % (but maximum DKK 30,000) for employees not subject to the Salaried Employees Act

As part of the new bill, employees covered by the scheme must take up to five days of accrued holiday, or subject to individual agreement holiday which has not yet been accrued, and/or time of in lieu of accrued overtime. Alternatively, employees may also elect to take unpaid time off. During this period, the company will not receive salary compensation payments. It’s important to note that the period of five days is based on the maximum three-month period under the scheme wherefore the number of days to be taken will decrease proportionally depending on the period which the company applies for. At the same time, the requirement to take five days off will not apply if the company has already concluded an agreement on salary reduction with the employee representative or the affected employees before submitting an application under the salary compensation scheme. Days off must, in any case, be planned pursuant to negotiations with the employee and in case of disagreement, the company may allocate the days proportionally over the salary compensation period.

Companies must refrain from terminating employees during the period covered by the salary compensation scheme. Consequently, the salary compensation period commences on the day the first affected employee is sent home and ends earlier if the company gives notice or terminates an employee due to its economic circumstances.

In addition, it’s a condition that the company refrains from using other schemes allowing it to send employees home without pay as discharge or agreements on division of labour.  

The scheme was originally applicable from 9 March 2020 until and including 8 June 2020 but has now been prolonged until and including 8 July 2020. Companies that want to receive compensation during the extended period must therefore reapply for compensation with the Danish Business Authority.

Companies can as a main rule only apply for salary compensation once, but if it later shows that an additional need for sending employees home occur, it will be allowed to resubmit an application.

When submitting the application online, companies must provide information on:

  • The number of employees who will be sent home
  • CPR-numbers, salary, and occupational level of affected employees
  • Employment status (salaried employees or non-salaried employees)
  • Period for which the company is applying for salary compensation
  • Number of days of unpaid leave for each employee
  • Solemn declaration from management that the provided information is correct

Companies applying under the scheme must be assisted by an accountant. After receiving salary compensation, companies must document that the provided information was correct. The requirement to document also includes confirmation from the employee representative if applicable that the affected employees were sent home in that period. 

Aside from the tripartite agreement, the Danish government has introduced several other measures. Read more about the other measures here

Companies must be aware that even though employees must not work during the period, the agreement does allow for companies to recall employees fully or partly, for example in case of unexpected orders. Companies applying this option must thereafter repay salary compensation for that period where the employee returned to work. Alternatively, companies may already at the time of submitting the application declare the number of days it expects to recall the employee during the compensation period. Thereafter, the compensation amount will be determined based on the defined compensation period, excluding the number of days the employee returned to work.

We are monitoring the developments closely and will follow up when there is news to report.

As a direct consequence of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), a serious financial impact has and is still causing substantial declines in productivity and turnover levels and is, as a result, triggering huge numbers of redundancies. The Danish government has, therefore, just passed the bill on the new tripartite agreement with the Danish social partners allowing for the implementation of the temporary salary compensation scheme for employees otherwise facing termination. Combined with several other measures, the salary compensation scheme is an important step from the Danish government in its attempt to mitigate the serious effects resulting from this extraordinary situation on the labour market.

With the new bill, the Danish government has established a temporary salary compensation scheme for companies that has employees who would otherwise face mass redundancy. Companies, who are extraordinarily financially affected by the outbreak and who would otherwise need to proceed to termination of at least 30 % of its workforce or minimum 50 employees, are eligible. Calculation of the total number of employees to be used is based on information from the Danish Central Business Register (CVR) and includes employees who were employed by the company before 9 March 2020. Contrary to other schemes, this scheme does not presume the existence of any collective bargaining agreement or collective agreement.

Companies wishing to benefit from the new scheme must send employees home with their full salary during the salary compensation period. Employees may be sent home with one day’s notice. At the same time, it is also a condition that employees do not perform any work during the salary compensation period.

Pursuant to the salary compensation scheme, companies will receive:

  • Up to 75 % (but maximum DKK 30,000) for employees subject to the Salaried Employees Act
  • Up to 90 % (but maximum DKK 30,000) for employees not subject to the Salaried Employees Act

As part of the new bill, employees covered by the scheme must take up to five days of accrued holiday, or subject to individual agreement holiday which has not yet been accrued, and/or time of in lieu of accrued overtime. Alternatively, employees may also elect to take unpaid time off. During this period, the company will not receive salary compensation payments. It’s important to note that the period of five days is based on the maximum three-month period under the scheme wherefore the number of days to be taken will decrease proportionally depending on the period which the company applies for. At the same time, the requirement to take five days off will not apply if the company has already concluded an agreement on salary reduction with the employee representative or the affected employees before submitting an application under the salary compensation scheme. Days off must, in any case, be planned pursuant to negotiations with the employee and in case of disagreement, the company may allocate the days proportionally over the salary compensation period.

Companies must refrain from terminating employees during the period covered by the salary compensation scheme. Consequently, the salary compensation period commences on the day the first affected employee is sent home and ends earlier if the company gives notice or terminates an employee due to its economic circumstances.

In addition, it’s a condition that the company refrains from using other schemes allowing it to send employees home without pay as discharge or agreements on division of labour.  

The scheme was originally applicable from 9 March 2020 until and including 8 June 2020 but has now been prolonged until and including 8 July 2020. Companies that want to receive compensation during the extended period must therefore reapply for compensation with the Danish Business Authority.

Companies can as a main rule only apply for salary compensation once, but if it later shows that an additional need for sending employees home occur, it will be allowed to resubmit an application.

When submitting the application online, companies must provide information on:

  • The number of employees who will be sent home
  • CPR-numbers, salary, and occupational level of affected employees
  • Employment status (salaried employees or non-salaried employees)
  • Period for which the company is applying for salary compensation
  • Number of days of unpaid leave for each employee
  • Solemn declaration from management that the provided information is correct

Companies applying under the scheme must be assisted by an accountant. After receiving salary compensation, companies must document that the provided information was correct. The requirement to document also includes confirmation from the employee representative if applicable that the affected employees were sent home in that period. 

Aside from the tripartite agreement, the Danish government has introduced several other measures. Read more about the other measures here

Companies must be aware that even though employees must not work during the period, the agreement does allow for companies to recall employees fully or partly, for example in case of unexpected orders. Companies applying this option must thereafter repay salary compensation for that period where the employee returned to work. Alternatively, companies may already at the time of submitting the application declare the number of days it expects to recall the employee during the compensation period. Thereafter, the compensation amount will be determined based on the defined compensation period, excluding the number of days the employee returned to work.

We are monitoring the developments closely and will follow up when there is news to report.

Receive our newsletter

Anders

Etgen Reitz

Partner

Søren

Hessellund Klausen

Partner

Kirsten

Astrup

Managing associate (on leave)

Cecillie

Groth Henriksen

Senior associate

Similar

logo
HR Legal

27 March 2024

Rules on pay transparency on the way

logo
HR Legal

27 March 2024

Internal information was not trade secrets

logo
HR Legal

10 March 2024

Every beard you take

logo
HR Legal

25 February 2024

A salary freeze is not always a breeze in the Nordics

logo
HR Legal

25 February 2024

Next stop, neutrality town!

logo
HR Legal

25 February 2024

Money speaks louder than words

The team

Alexandra

Jensen

Legal advisor

Anaïs

Kjærgaard Crouzet

Associate

Anders

Etgen Reitz

Partner

Caroline

Thorsen

Junior legal assistant

Cecillie

Groth Henriksen

Senior associate

Johan

Gustav Dein

Associate

Julie

Meyer

Senior legal assistant

Kirsten

Astrup

Managing associate (on leave)

Maria

Kjærsgaard Juhl

Legal advisor

Sofie

Aurora Braut Bache

Managing associate

Søren

Hessellund Klausen

Partner