What is important to know once I find a job?
Once you find a job, there are several things you need to know, remember or take a position on.
Employment contract
Once you have found a job, you have the right to have an employment contract - and the employer has the obligation to provide one for you. The contract should contain:
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The name and address of your employer - and your own name and address.
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Your title
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A job description
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The date of the commencement of the employment - and the duration of your employment situation, if you are only employed on a temporary basis
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Your right to paid holidays
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The rules on termination and on giving notice
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Your salary, allowances and other forms of pay, for instance, pension.
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At what time during the month the salary is payable
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Your daily and weekly work hours -and whether the hours are flexible or fixed
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Whether or not you have the duty to take on overtime work - and how much overtime work you have the obligation to take on
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Which general agreements cover your position
In addition to this information, your employment contract should also contain other important rules regarding your job. These may be a dress code or rules on how to interact at the workplace.
In some workplaces, these rules are also described in the staff policy guidelines or in an employee handbook. Additional information might be contained in such a policy or handbook, for instance, the attitude of the workplace towards home workstations, supplementary training and the employment of persons on special terms and conditions.
You should always let your trade union read your contract before signing it.
Trade Unions
It costs money (membership fees) to be a member of a trade union. Therefore, it is also sensible to ask yourself: "How will I benefit from this membership?". We give you the answer to that question below, and explain what some of the terms associated with the trade union movement mean. A trade union:
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Protects you and secures your rights on the labour market
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Negotiates collective agreements, i.e. wages and working conditions, and ensures that these conditions are observed
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Reads your employment contract to see whether it is okay
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Helps you find a job
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Helps you if you have an occupational accident or get an industrial injury
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Helps you if your employer fails to pay out your salary or your holiday pay
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Helps you in connection with sickness and maternity leave
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Helps you if you get fired
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Gives you guidance in connection
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with training and education
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Holds courses and organises other activities that you may participate in
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Sends you a trade journal with articles, job advertisements, etc.
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Fights for your interests on the political scene vis-a-vis the parliament, the government, the media etc.
The trade unions have many different offers - and not all trade unons are the same. For instance, some trade unions offer:
Sometimes, your trade union will offer you a discount on insurance policies, holiday homes, etc.
The union representative at your work place will be able to assist you if you want to know more about what the trade union can offer your. You can also contact your local trade union branch or visit the home page of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, LO, which typically provides a lot of useful information.
What is a union representative?
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The union representative is your trade union representative at the workplace. He/she will fight for your interests vis-à-vis the management - and is also the one who is in contact with the trade union.
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The union representative is elected by his/her colleagues
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You can contact the union representative if you need answers to questions pertaining to collective agreements, wages, dismissal, training and membership
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Once a workplace has five employees, they are entitled to elect a union representative
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Union representatives are elected at workplaces that are covered by a collective agreement with a union
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All members of the trade union can be elected union representative - including yourself
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You have the opportunity to go on special courses if you chose to become a union representative
What is a works council?
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In a works council, management and employees are sitting by the same table. Here, you can negotiate almost everything that has to do with the workplace. However, not all workplaces have a works council
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The works council must be comprised of an equal number of representatives from the employees and the management
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The employees must help decide how the work is planned. They must have influence on working conditions, training and staff policy. They must be informed about the financial status of the company as well as the introduction of new technology
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Everyone has the right to be elected into the works council - yourself included. In the works council, you can help decide what you want your workplace to be like
What is a local union club?
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There are local union clubs at many large workplaces
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A local union club consists of a group of colleagues that are members of the same trade union
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In the local union club, you arrange work-related and social events and talk about aspects of work that are considered to be important
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The local union club is a good forum for getting to know your colleagues, especially if you are new at the workplace or have another ethnic back-ground and culture
What is a safety representative?
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The safety representative has an obligation to keep an eye on the physical and psycho-social working environment at the workplace - and thereby see to it the the workplace is safe and healthy
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The safety rpresentative is elected by his/her colleagues - If your workplace employs more than five persons, you have the right to elect a safety representative
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You can ask your safety representative for advice if you have questions on, for instance, the organisation of the premises, chemicals, noise and harassment
The trade union terminology is very extensive. So extensive that it may sometimes be difficult to keep track of all the different terms. However, you are always welcome to ask your union representative or someone at your local union branch if you have questions.
For instance, in trade union terminology, a general assembly is an annual meeting during which the members have the right to participate, speak their minds and help elect the board. But this term can easily be misunderstood...
A general assembly without generals?
There was a general assembly in the local union branch of the Women Workers' Union. After many attempts to persuade them to attend, a group of young Iraqi women have finally turned up. They sit in one of the corners on the edge of their seats looking a little nervous. One of their Danish colleagues approaches them during the break. After all, they do look a bit nervous. And very quickly she realizes that it is the term 'general assembly' that causes confusion, because one of the women asks her: "When are the generals coming?"
This little anecdote is not told to make fun of anyone but only in order to illustrate that it is not always easy to keep track of all the many different words. Even Danes, who have lived in this country all their lives, find it difficult sometimes.
The right to holidays?
For every month you work, you earn the right to 2,08 holidays. This will give you a total of five weeks' holidays a year. However, most collective agreements also give you the right to workfree days. These are extra holidays that have been agreed between the employers and the trade unions during collective bargaining. Your trade union branch or your trade unon representative (see the terminology list) will know how many workfree days you are entitled to take.
You have the right to take a holiday of three consecutive weeks between 1 May and 30 September.
Your holiday allowance (see the terminology list) can only be paid out once you take the holidays
You also have the right to take your holidays even though you have not earned any holiday allowance. However, this means that you will not receive any pay or holiday allowance during these holidays.
