Sickness

Absence due to sickness must be notified to the employee’s team manager as quickly as possible and no later than 10 o'clock on the first day of absence. Absences must be reported either by telephone, via text message or by e-mail. 

When you are absent due to sickness you must - if possible - provide information about the expected duration and outstanding urgent work tasks.

You must record the absence under ‘Sygdom’ (‘Illness’) on the weekly time sheets.

When you are ready to return to work, this must be immediately notified to the your manager. If Personnel and Development have been notified about the illness, the employee must also notify Personnel and Development when they are ready to return to work.

Long-term absence due to sickness
If the absence is long-term, i.e. two weeks or more - you are expected to keep in touch with your manager to keep him/her up to date and let them know when you expect to return to work. If this does not happen, your manager may contact you to ensure that you keep in touch and to clarify any staffing issues relating to future work tasks.

When you have been absent due to sickness for 3 weeks or more, information about the absence will be forwarded to Personnel and Development, who will keep in contact with the employee during the illness together with your manager. Personnel and Development and your manager will invite you to status meetings on a regular basis.

Sickness benefit
If you are absent due to illness for more than 30 days, the Institute will apply for sickness benefit with your local authority as long as you are ill and receive pay.

Use of doctor’s declarations on duration of illness and work capacity
The Institute does not automatically require written documentation from a doctor on the first day of your illness. However, the Institute reserves the right to ask for a doctor's declaration or other documentation based on existing rules and an assessment of the current situation and the employee’s course of illness. The expenses incurred for this are paid by the Institute.

Illness during holidays
If you become ill before a scheduled holiday is begun, the holiday can by agreement by postponed until you are well again.

You are entitled to replacement holidays if you are ill for more than 5 days during your holiday. In Denmark, you can get a medical statement of incapacity for work (called "friattest"). You pay the costs associated with this.

If you are abroad, you must also retrieve and pay for a doctor’s note from a doctor or secure a copy of your file from a clinic/hospital. When ill during a holiday, you must contact your director and Personnel and Development on the first day of illness and on the day when you are well again.

You are only entitled to replacement holidays from the 6th day of illness during a holiday. The 5 sick days without replacement holidays only begin from the day that you report to your employer that you are ill. 

Child’s 1st day of illness
All employees are entitled to time off without pay deductions when a minor child living at home has their 1st day of illness or as per the rules of a collective agreement or employment contract.

Such an absence is registered as ‘Barn syg’ (‘Child sick’) on the weekly time sheets.

Any potential additional days of absence are taken as time off in lieu or registered as unpaid leave.