When your employee is taking maternity/paternity leave

If your employee is expecting a baby or has plans to take other maternity/paternity-related leave, this must be reported to you and to Corporate HR.

You can find information on DTU inside or from the HR consultant and get answers to questions that may arise in connection with maternity/paternity leave, childbirth, adoption, childcare days, etc. 

Leave for mothers
An expecting mother is entitled to pregnancy leave with pay for up to six weeks before childbirth,and must give notice of this at least three months before the expected due date.

Once the employee has registered her pregnancy and maternity leave in DTU Fusion, you must approve the leave via the system before the notice is sent to Corporate HR. When the notice has been registered, the employee will receive a confirmation letter in her e-Boks. 

After the birth, the employee (the mother) is entitled to maternity leave for up to ten weeks. The employee is required to take the first two weeks of this leave.

No later than six weeks after the birth, the employee must inform DTU of how she wishes to take the maternity leave and parental leave (see the section on additional (parental) leave).

When HR has received the notice, the employee will receive a confirmation letter for the whole leave period in her e-Boks.

Leave for fathers/co-mothers
A father/co-mother is entitled to paternity/co-maternity leave for up to two weeks within the first ten weeks.

Once the employee has submitted notice of their paternity/co-maternity in DTU Fusion, you must approve the leave via the system before the notice is sent to Corporate HR. When the notice has been registered, the employee will receive a confirmation letter in their e-Boks. 

As soon as possible after the birth, the employee must inform hr-compensation-and-benefits@dtu.dk about the date of birth and state the exact period in which the paternity leave will be taken. This is to allow Corporate HR to claim reimbursement of benefits.

The paternity leave must be taken immediately following the child’s birth/arrival at home or—by special agreement with you—at another time within the first ten weeks after the birth. 

Additional (parental) leave for mothers and fathers
Within six weeks of the birth, the employee must notify the department if they wish to exercise the right to take parental leave (up to 32 weeks). The department will pass on the information to HR.

The employee will receive a confirmation from HR regarding the overall period of leave.

Deferment of leave
Each parent is entitled to defer up to five weeks of the 32 weeks if they want to take them later on.

The following applies to deferment of leave:

• The deferred leave must be taken before the child has attained nine years of age
• If the employee defers leave, the employee cannot also extend the leave (to 40 or 46 weeks).
• Notice of deferred leave must be given within eight weeks after the birth
• The employee may defer max. five weeks of the 32 weeks of parental leave
• The period in question (up to five weeks) must be taken in one overall period
• The employee must notify you and HR no later than 16 weeks before the employee wishes to make use of the deferred leave period. If notice is not given in due time, the leave cannot be taken until the correct period of notice has expired.

Extension of leave
The parental leave may be extended to 40 or 46 weeks. It is not possible to extend the benefits correspondingly.

Public holidays, etc.
Please note that if a period of leave contains public holidays and the like (such as Store Bededag or Constitution DayI), these days will count as days of leave and no compensation will be paid.

Holidays and special days of holiday
The taking of holiday in connection with leave must be agreed with HR and the department. The employee cannot interrupt their leave with pay to go on holiday.

Entitlements to holidays and special days of holiday accrue during the entire period of leave.

Reimbursement
DTU receives reimbursement from Udbetaling Danmark for all the periods during which salary is paid (the only exception is two of the six weeks during which the mother can take pregnancy leave).

A contribution from the Danish Maternity/Paternity Leave Fund (Barselsfonden) will also be applied for during all periods of leave with pay. The also applies in the event of pregnancy-related illness.

Entitlement to salary
The employee’s right to receive salary from DTU during periods of leave with pay is conditional upon DTU being entitled to receive reimbursement of paternity/maternity benefits in accordance with the Danish Act on Entitlement to Leave and Benefits in the Event of Childbirth.

The employee is responsible for ensuring that benefits are available, and non-reimbursement may result in salary deductions, parental leave without pay or the loss of other time off.

Childcare days and time
Corporate HR will register the child’s date of birth so that the employee is allocated childcare days.

Contact to employees on leave
Please note that employees on leave must be offered a salary interview in the same way as other employees. 

Further information
You can read more on the related pages and links.

Feel free to contact your HR consultant if you have further questions.