Working in Denmark

I'm sure many of my Singaporean friends, and some friends in Denmark, are wondering if I have considered returning to Singapore to start a new chapter there. Martin would definitely pack up immediately if I just say the word. In fact, that was pretty much his first question when I told him the news of our Copenhagen office. "So we can move to Singapore now???" he asked enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, it's not quite an option for me. Ok, to be fair, I won't rule it out totally, but will only consider it as the really really last resort, as in, only after trying my luck at the casinos in Las Vegas, I still return home with empty pockets. Or, after robbing a bank here, I need a country to flee to ;o).

No, seriously - I will not consider returning to Spore for several reasons. Would you like a list ;o)? The essence of it is mainly job related.

1) Balanced life
The average work week in Denmark is 37 hrs, Mondays-Fridays, excluding the ½hr lunch per day. It's one of the lowest in the world, I'm sure.

2) Work politics
In Denmark, when you start at 9, you leave at 5. No one expects you to stay on 1 or 2 hrs more "just because" it'll make you seem more hardworking. In Spore, this is expected, otherwise your boss or colleagues will think that you don't have "enough" to do. Whoever said that staying extra hours at work = hardworking should get their brains examined. To me, staying extra works at work unnecessarily = being inefficient or total waste of time. Time that can be better spent with friends or family.

Also, in some companies in Spore, it will not look good if you leave the office before your boss. What kind of crap is that? I mean, the work of the boss is at a different level than yours, and should involve more necessary time put into it, so why should you have to stay back in the office just because he/she's not done with what he/she's been paid to do?

3) Vacation days
In Denmark, every salaried employee is entitled to 25 paid vacation days a year (5 x Mon-Fri weeks). We are also entitled to use 3 weeks in a row, as long as it fits the company's operations. Some people in other industries have 30 vacation days a year! That's a lot, if you ask me.

What is it in Spore? I don't know exactly, but I'm pretty sure it's less. 2 weeks (14 days)? If someone can write me a comment to tell me, I'd love to hear.

4) Sick days
We can be sick up to 14 days in a row without needing to show any medical certificates here in Denmark. Usually, people are sick for just 1-3 days in a row, and companies trust their employees enough not to ask for medical proof. Of course, it can be abused, but then it'll be in your conscience...and sometimes, you can be proven guilty so unless you really think you can get away with it, then it's better to be honest. Or unless you're already being terminated and are calling in sick while working your notice. I mean, what are they going to do to you anyway? Fire you? ;o)

5) Maternity/paternity leave
The mother is entitled to 1 year paid maternity leave in Denmark. Depending on how long you've been working at the company, you get paid accordingly. In my case, I would have 6 months of fully paid maternity leave by the company, and the other 6 months paid 75% by the government. It's really not bad at all.

The father gets 2 weeks fully paid paternity leave by law. He can use them whenever he wants, but within the year, I think. Also, if the mother doesn't want to take the full 1 year maternity leave, she may share it with the father, so she may eg. use 6 months, while daddy use the other 6 months (paid). I know fathers who take 3 months paternity leave, and they really get to build a closer relationship with their child during that time.

The company may also not terminate you unless they can prove that it has nothing to do with your pregnancy. That means, if you go on maternity leave for 1 year, come back to work for 1 month, then go on your 2nd maternity leave for another year, the company cannot fire you despite you not being at work for pretty much 2 years in a row.

I had 3 colleagues who did this, and there's absolutely nothing that the company can do, really. All 3 of them resigned on their own, eventually. Both of them resigned just before their 2nd maternity leave in a row ended.

6) Termination / resignation notices
By Danish law, if you're still under the 3 months probation period, you get 2 weeks notice if fired.

If you've been working up to 6 months in the company, you get 1 month notice if you're fired. After 6 months of work, you get 3 months notice if fired. The period of notice increases by 1 month for every 3 years of service after that, up to a maximum of 6 months notice.

If you've been working 12 years, 15 year or 18 years in a row, you get an extra 1 month, 2 months or 3 months respectively.

In my case, I get 6 months notice, plus my company will give an additional month, so 7 months full pay, so for me, it's actually almost as good as going on a maternity leave...without a lifetime of commitment to a child.

There are of course some exceptions to the rule, such as the nature of your termination. If you've been terminated on the grounds of theft, drugs, violence, etc, then don't expect to get your legal termination notice period.

On the other hand, if you're resigning, you just need to give 1 month's notice to your employer, no matter how many years you've been working there.

Again, I'm not sure how it is like in Spore, so if anyone knows, please do comment. I'm just pretty sure it's not as good as the Danish laws, to the benefit of the employees.

7) Change in contract terms
In Denmark, if there is a drastic change in your contract such as getting a pay cut, being demoted, being given a brand new area of responsibility, or even if the company moves to an address that is much further away, they will have to inform this to you in advance. Legally, they'll have to inform you about it in the same number of months as your termination notice.

If we say for example in my case, if I was told that I will now have to work from home instead of a physical office, my company will have to give me 6 months notice about it. If we come to a mutual agreement, this notice may be shortened.

However, if I disagree with it, then I will be able to work as usual for 6 months, and then resign at the end of my notice but giving my employer the legal 1 month notice entitled to them.

8) Union membership
At least 80% of the Danish workforce is a member of a union. That is the highest number anywhere in the world, I believe. Unions in Denmark are strong. If you have any disputes at work, you don't tell your employer "I'll speak to my lawyer." Instead, if you tell them "I'll speak to my union," that will make them shake more (presuming that you feel your rights have been breached, of course). That's how strong the union is here. The unions here are anyway able to provide members with free lawyers to fight their case if there is a case.

I was not a union member, but have been a part of the A-kasse since I started working. A-kasse is when you pay a certain amount to a union every month, so that in case you get unemployed, you get unemployment benefits paid to you, and they will also help you to find a new job, and you don't have to be a union member to be part of the A-kasse.

I have however, now joined as a union member after a recent situation at work in relation to my termination notice. They wanted me to work (from home) 1 month more than my other terminated colleagues, and that I didn't agree to. Legally, they do have the right to make me work more than my terminated colleagues in accordance to the company's business needs, but legally, in referance to point 7 above, they cannot make me work this extra month from home (the physical office closes after 24 DEC) because I'll then need 6 months notice for it. Therefore, my right overrules their right.

I told them that I'll have to check it with my union to see if what they ask of me is acceptable before I will sign anything. I wasn't a union member yet, actually...but that they didn't know, of course. Anyway, shortly after, I got a mail back saying that I won't have to work this extra month after all, and I will be released from my notice on 24 DEC like everybody else.

So you see, union power works in Denmark! Unions in Spore are not strong enough to fight for their members...if you're even allowed to be a union member. All employees here have that right.

I guess those are all the main points I can think of right now, in regards to why I'd rather stay and work in Denmark than in Spore. No doubt, I'll have a LOT more options and opportunities in Spore, but I don't want my life to just be all about work. I want to play too, I want to have time for myself, my friends, my family. That's what life is really about, isn't it? We should work to live, not live to work.

The only things that I'll miss out in Spore are food, shopping, Spore friends/family...and more food. Variety of activities too. But then again, if I have to slog at work all day, I won't have much time for many of these other non-work related aspects, right? So what's the point? I might as well just enjoy all these while on a real 2 weeks (or more) vacation there :o).

So no...I don't see myself returning to Spore for good anytime soon. Home for me right now is here in Denmark, and it's here where I'll take on all the challenges that come my way. Only if EVERYTHING fails, will I turn back towards the door that my Spore passport is key to. And that I think, is a BIG "if".