Wages and sectors
Working in the hotel and restaurant sector Join 3F and the 3F unemployment fund as soon as you start working in Denmark. This will protect you in case you're treated unfairly or lose your job.

These are the following rules that apply to those working in fields such as cleaning, hospitality, or kitchens. In Denmark, the labour market is governed by collective agreements, which are the result of negotiations between employers and employees, represented by 3F.

3F ensures that you have fair working conditions and are entitled to benefits such as pension, paid holidays, sick pay, and a minimum wage. It’s important that your employer has entered into a collective agreement to guarantee these rights.

Before starting a job in Denmark, contact your local 3F branch. We can help you avoid jobs with poor wages and working conditions.

 

 Wages

In the Private Service, Hotel, and Restaurant sectors, minimum wages vary depending on your role—whether you're waiting tables, cleaning, or cooking—when working for a business that has a collective agreement with 3F.

Minimum wages represent the lowest amount you can be paid, but the collective agreement typically ensures that your actual wages will be higher.

The minimum hourly wage ranges from approximately DKK 141 to DKK 176, depending on the specific area of work. Additionally, you will receive higher wages for evening, Sunday, public holiday, and night shifts.

It’s a smart choice to become a 3F member so that the local 3F branch can ensure you're paid what you're entitled to according to the collective agreement, if your employer has one with 3F.

If you're employed by a business without a collective agreement with 3F, you still have rights that the employer must respect, such as having a written employment agreement that outlines wages and working conditions. In these cases, it’s also a good idea to seek advice and guidance from your local 3F branch.

Remember: It's important to keep a detailed log of your working hours. This will serve as documentation in case a dispute arises regarding your hours, ensuring you have accurate records to support any claims about your work time.

 Pension In businesses with a collective agreement, you are entitled to have payments made into a labour market pension scheme after 2 or 6 months of employment in the trade, provided you are over 20 years of age. If you are already enrolled in a labour market pension scheme, this rule will apply from your first day of employment. Holiday Employees are entitled to 25 days of holiday, along with holiday pay or paid holiday plus holiday allowances. If the business is covered by a collective agreement, the employee will receive an additional 5 days of holiday as extra time off. Illness Employees in businesses covered by a collective agreement are entitled to sick pay after meeting the required employment period. The length of time for which an employee will receive full wage payment during illness may vary slightly between different collective agreements. Maternity

Female employees with permanent contracts and at least nine months of continuous employment by the expected delivery date are entitled to paid leave. This includes four weeks of leave before the expected delivery and 14 weeks of maternity leave after childbirth.

The father will – under similar conditions – be entitled to 2 weeks' paternity leave with pay.

The employer will pay wages during parental leave for up to 16 weeks.

The wage rates may vary from one collective agreement to the other.

Learn more about conditions and rights in connection with maternity and adoption at your local 3F branch.
Contact your local 3F branch

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