Great Prayer Day removed as public holiday in Denmark

This year’s Great Prayer Day on Friday 5 May 2023 will be the last time this public holiday is held in Denmark. The Danish Parliament passed a bill on 28 February 2023 removing Great Prayer Day as a public holiday and making it an ordinary extra working day from 1 January 2024. The act imposes obligations on all employers with effect from 1 January 2024.

Salary and employment terms

As of 1 January 2024, the employees’ salary and employment terms applicable on ordinary working days will also apply to the now removed Great Prayer Day. In other words, specifically agreed salary and employment terms regulating Great Prayer Day will no longer apply.

Any special agreements on payment for work and employment terms laid down in collective agreements, individual employment agreements, staff handbooks, etc. on, for example, time off, pay during absence, special payment for work performed on public holidays, or the right to a day off at another time if work is performed on a public holiday, will no longer apply in respect of Great Prayer Day.

An employer is thus no longer bound by provisions on special terms on public holidays in relation to work performed on Great Prayer Day, and similarly, employees can no longer rely on such provisions in relation to Great Prayer Day.

Duty to pay a fixed salary supplement to employees

The removing of Great Prayer Day means that employees' annual working time will increase by one working day per year. Employees with a fixed monthly salary and employees who are paid for another fixed period must be compensated for the extra working day. The employer must pay a fixed salary supplement of 0.45 per cent of the annual salary, which corresponds to the value of a normal working day. The fixed salary supplement can be paid either annual twice a year or monthly.

Hourly paid employees

Hourly paid employees are not entitled to receive the fixed salary supplement from the employer. Hourly paid employees working on the now removed Great Prayer Day will only receive the agreed hourly wage for an ordinary working day along with supplements for overtime, etc.

Review

We recommend that employers review current employment agreements, employee handbooks/policies which includes Great Prayer Day as a public holiday and update these with effect from 1 January 2024. The employers must issue an addendum to the employment agreements outlining the new salary elements and make sure that the payments of the fixed salary supplement are in compliance with the act’s calculation rules. We will be pleased to assist with this.