Denmark extends paid leave to 8 weeks for new fathers

New fathers are entitled to at least eight weeks paid leave under a new labor agreement reached in Denmark.

The deal, concluded over the weekend by the Confederation of Danish Industry and the Central Organization of Industrial Employees, extends the amount of paid leave to which new parents are entitled from 13 weeks to 16 weeks, according to a statement on Sunday. Five weeks are allocated to mothers and eight to fathers, with households deciding how to split the remaining three weeks.

“We, the two sides of industry, are staying up to date and taking part in ensuring a more equal distribution of the leave,” Lars Sandahl Sorensen, the confederation’s director general, said in the statement.

The agreement, which extends until March 2023, covers more than 6,000 businesses, and serves as a foundation for local agreements on wages and benefits. That includes additional paid parental leave, which typically runs to a full year.