The rules on paid leave on a child’s first and second sickness day are described in the collective agreements, and apply to all employees at the Aarhus University.
The rules are though different for employees paid by the hour (see below).
An employee can take full or partial leave to look after a sick child by making a request to his/her immediate superior if:
The second sickness day is the calendar day immediately following the child’s first sickness day, regardless of whether it is a working or non-working day.
The first and second sickness days may be taken independently of each other, i.e. an employee may take the child’s second sickness day without having taken the first sickness day.
Parents may therefore also share the two sickness days between them, with one parent taking the first day and the other taking the second day.
Pay during such absence is the same as the employee would have received for absence due to sickness. Any fixed supplements that might be expected are not included in the calculation basis, however.
Individual employees may have the entitlement revoked in case of abuse.
If possible, the workplace must be informed of absence for a child's first and second sickness day at the start of working hours and no later than 9 am on the day of absence.
If the child remains sick, it is possible to use saved time, holiday or childcare days under the applicable guidelines.
Efforts must be made to be as flexible as possible when a child is ill.
Employees paid by the hour who are not entitled to pay in case of illness are therefore not entitled to paid absence on a child’s first and second sickness day either. If the conditions for sickness benefit under the Danish Sickness Benefits Act (Dagpengelovens) have been met, the employee is entitled to receive an amount equivalent to sickness benefit from his/her employer.