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You are here: Home i In Focus i In Focus 2022 i Theme: Paternity leave in the Nordics i Dads on equal footing with mums in Denmark’s new parental leave law

Dads on equal footing with mums in Denmark’s new parental leave law

More gender equality in the labour market and more fathers on leave with small children. This is what Danish families can now look forward to after the government has given fathers nine extra weeks of earmarked paternity leave.
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New parental leave model and earmarked leave

Danish parents have 48 weeks of parental leave. The new law divides this equally between the parents so that each of them has 24 weeks’ leave after birth with parental leave pay – or their salary paid. 

Both parents have so far had the right to take two weeks of earmarked leave linked to the birth. If you are employed, you will get another nine earmarked weeks which must be used before the child turns one. 

If you do not use the earmarked weeks of leave, the parental leave pay stops. It is not possible to let the other parent use the earmarked weeks. 

From January 2024, new single parents will be allowed to give some of the parental leave to close family members. New LGBTQ+ families will be able to give parental leave weeks to a social parent, i.e. a parent who has daily responsibility for and takes care of the child.

Source: bm.dk, borger.dk, Egmont Fonden

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