Denmark
Minimum wage
Impact date: Awaited. On 11 November 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered its judgment in Case C-19/23 (Denmark v Parliament and Council). The Court rejected the Advocate General’s recommendation to annul the Directive in full and instead confirmed the overall validity of the Directive, while annulling only certain parts of Article 5 that prescribed detailed criteria and a non-regression rule for statutory minimum wages in Member States that have such wage setting mechanisms. The EU Directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU is now in force and Member States had until 15 November 2024 to implement it. The Danish Government took legal action against the European Parliament to have the Directive or parts of it annulled. This is due to the Government considering the requirements of the Directive to be inconsistent with the Danish labor model in which employment terms, such as wages, are to be negotiated between employers and employees and their organizations regarding collective agreements.
Employer implications/action needed No action required at this time, but employers should monitor the progress of the legal action taken by the Danish Government.
Employer risk N/A
Parental rights and benefits
Impact date: Expected to enter into force from 1 January 2026 A Bill was introduced in Parliament in October 2025. It proposes to increase the annual contribution to the private sector maternity equalization scheme (Barsel.dk) for private employers and the self-employed from DKK 1,550 to DKK 2,200 per full time employee. A draft executive order has been sent for consultation to raise the daily reimbursement cap and extend the reimbursement period from 40 to 42 weeks.
Employer implications/action needed The contribution is collected quarterly via “Samlet Betaling”, which is a consolidated payment of various mandatory employer contributions.
Political agreement - New collective-agreement-based business scheme for third-country labor
Impact date: Awaited - There is still no Bill implementing the collective agreement based business scheme, but according to the Government’s legislative program, the Bill is expected to be introduced in the second half of February 2026. On 30 June 2025, the Government announced a new “overenskomst-based” business scheme to ease recruitment from selected non-EU countries on Danish collective-agreement terms. The model ties access to being covered by a DA/FH-level collective agreement and certification with SIRI, with strengthened anti-dumping controls (e.g., ID-card measures on large sites).
Employer implications/action needed N/A
The EU Pay Transparency Directive – local implementation
Impact date: National implementation no later than 7 June 2026 The EU Pay Transparency Directive introduces binding rules intended to secure pay transparency throughout the Member States. The Directive requires national implementation no later than 7 June 2026.
Although the Government’s legislative program for 2025/2026 has now been published, it is noteworthy that the program does not yet mention an upcoming Bill for the implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive, despite the approaching implementation deadline.
Employer implications/action needed No action required at this time.
Employer risk N/A
Link N/A
Workplace-accident reporting
Impact date: Awaited (proposal is still in consultation) A draft amendment proposes that employers must notify workplace accidents only if the injury causes at least three full days’ absence beyond the day of injury (currently it is one day). The change targets administrative burden by filtering out very minor injuries from mandatory notification.
Employer implications/action needed N/A
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