Child's first and/or second day of illness

From 1 October 2008, the scheme whereby you can take full or partial paid leave if your child falls ill has been extended to also apply to a child’s second day of illness. The right to leave on your child’s second day of illness is a result of the collective agreement negotiations for 2008.

Your workplace may grant you full or partial leave to look after your child on his or her first and second day of illness if:
• It is required out of consideration for the child’s well-being
• It is feasible in view of the situation at the workplace
• The child is under 18 years of age
• The child lives at home

Leave in connection with a sick child is granted based on the nature of the illness and the age of the child. There must always be a need for care that cannot be met in any other way.

The child’s first day of illness is the first calendar day on which the child is ill.

The child’s second day of illness is the calendar day immediately following the child’s first day of illness. This means that if the child’s first day of illness is a Friday, the child’s second day of illness is Saturday (i.e. not Monday).

The child’s first and second days of illness may be taken independently of each other. This means that you can take off your child’s second day of illness even though you did not take off the first day of illness (and vice versa).

The two days may be shared by the child’s mother and father – e.g. one can take off the first day and the other can take off the second day.

If both the child’s mother and the child’s father are covered by the rules on leave in connection with their child’s first and second day of illness, only one parent may take full or partial leave on the child’s first and/or second day of illness, respectively. It is not possible for both parents to take leave on the same day.

In other words, the child has the right to have one parent at home on his/her first and second day of illness (if the child’s parents are both covered by collective agreements that ensure them/the child this right).

The rules governing leave in connection with a child’s first and second day of illness apply to staff covered by the joint collective agreements and the collective agreement for the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) as well as to staff who are public servants or have public servant status. During leave in connection with a child’s first and second day of illness, the pay is the same as for absence due to sickness, excluding however any special benefits etc.

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