Jobs on special terms or Social Chapter

Employment on special terms covers a number of initiatives, the purpose of which is:

  • To seek to ensure that existing employees can remain in employment despite having a reduced capacity for work.
  • To seek to increase the employment rate for individuals who have difficulties gaining employment.

Aarhus University as a responsible workplace

As set out in Aarhus University’s staff policy, Aarhus University’s goal is to be an inclusive and diverse workplace. Aarhus University therefore seeks to retain employees with a reduced capacity for work. This presupposes that retention is realistic given the employee’s capacity for work and possible duties.

Aarhus University also assumes responsibility for seeking to employ and integrate unemployed persons with subsidies available under the social chapter. In such cases, account is also taken of the person’s capacity for work and possible duties in the workplace. The social chapter springs from the Danish Act on Active Employment Measures (Lov om en aktiv beskæftigelsesindsats) and lays down the framework for employment on special terms.

For further information about the types of subsidies available under the social chapter, see the guidelines on social chapter in the Danish state sector ‘Vejledning om socialt kapitel i staten’.

Who do these rules apply to?

Employment on special terms is for unemployed persons and employees who are having difficulties gaining or retaining employment.

Role of liaison committee

The role of the liaison committee is to discuss the general and overall issues related to creating and working with diversity and social responsibility in the workplace.

The Cooperation Agreement is based on the idea that the liaison committee – with a view to integrating groups who find it difficult to gain or retain employment – may discuss the possibilities for making use of the schemes set up for this purpose. It is, among other things, relevant to discuss:

  • Where in the workplace is it possible to employ persons on special terms?
  • The balance between employment on special terms and ordinary employees.
  • Training with a view to gaining employment on ordinary terms.
  • How can the designated duties be combined with competency development?

Role of managers

Managers must ensure that the employees have an understanding of the fact that Aarhus University is a diverse workplace, and that diversity means, among other things, that Aarhus University employs persons with special needs.

In connection with the employment of a person on special terms, the manager must discuss the employment with the other employees, for example informing the employees of the duties of the future employee and what it means for the existing employees who will be working with the person employed on special terms. This is to ensure that the workplace is ready to receive and support persons employed on special terms.

Role of staff

An employee whose capacity for work is suddenly reduced may discuss the possibility of being re-employed on special terms with his or her manager.

A referral for employment on special terms must in all cases be obtained from the local authority. 

Role of union representatives

Some of the schemes are subject to a reasonableness condition (rimelighedskrav) or an employment contribution condition (merbeskæftigelseskrav). In both cases, the manager and a joint union representative must sign a statement to the effect that the condition has been fulfilled prior to an agreement on employment on special terms being made.

Employment contribution condition: The condition means that the employment of a person on special terms must lead to an increase in the level of employment at the workplace. Thus, persons employed on special terms must not replace regular employees.

Reasonableness condition: The condition means that there must be a reasonable balance between the number of employees working on ordinary terms and employees in subsidised jobs or internships.

Schemes for employment on special terms

A number of different employment schemes exist, including the following schemes, which are described in further detail in ‘Vejledning om socialt kapitel i staten’:

  • Internships for persons with reduced working capacity
  • Subsidised jobs for persons with reduced working capacity
  • Flexi jobs
  • Subsidised company internships
  • Subsidised jobs for the unemployed

Procedure

Anybody thinking about establishing a scheme under the social chapter is advised to contact the unit’s HR partner who can refer to the involvement of the relevant parties as well as provide competent feedback with regard to filling in relevant documents for the municipality.