Overtime and Break Laws in Denmark (2026)
Lov om gennemforelse af dele af arbejdstidsdirektivet (LBK nr 982 of 2024); Arbejdsmiljoloven (Working Environment Act) section 50 · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
No statutory overtime premium. Overtime pay is set by collective agreements or the employment contract.
Breaks and lunch
An employee working more than 6 hours a day is entitled to a break long enough to serve its purpose. The law sets no fixed length, so there is no minute rule to model.
Overtime in Denmark
The law sets no overtime premium of its own here. What overtime pays is up to the employment contract or the collective agreement.
- Average working time may not exceed 48 hours per 7-day period, including overtime, over a 4-month reference period. Paid leave and sick leave are neutral in the average.
- Opt-outs above 48 hours (up to 60 on average) are only possible for on-call staff in critical functions under a collective agreement.
- Employers must run an objective, reliable time registration system and keep the records for 5 years (since 2024).
- Employees covered by a collective agreement giving at least the directive's rights fall under the agreement instead of the Act. Managers and staff who set their own hours can be excluded in the contract.
- Denmark has no statutory minimum wage. Collective agreements typically pay 50% for the first 3 overtime hours and 100% after, but this is agreement-based, not statutory.
Averaging over a pay period: 48-hour average over 4 months.
Breaks and lunch in Denmark
The law does not set a break of a fixed length for adult employees here.
- Break length and pay are normally set by collective agreement or workplace practice.
- Daily rest of at least 11 consecutive hours in every 24-hour period. It can be cut to 8 hours in special cases.
- One weekly rest day (fridogn) in every 7-day period, joined to a daily rest, normally giving 35 hours off in a row.
Pay by Denmark rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Denmark: the overtime and break rules above fill in, and every timesheet, report and payroll export follows them. Change any number to match your own contract.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rule in Denmark?
No statutory overtime premium. Overtime pay is set by collective agreements or the employment contract.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Denmark?
48-hour average over 4 months.
What breaks are required in Denmark?
An employee working more than 6 hours a day is entitled to a break long enough to serve its purpose. The law sets no fixed length, so there is no minute rule to model.