Rules on working hours - In brief
The collective agreement for junior doctors applies to all junior doctors - including unit specialists - employed by county authorities or the Copenhagen Hospital Corporation (H:S). You can order a copy by calling the secretariat on +45 35 44 85 00 or you can find it on the website of Yngre Læger (the Danish Association of Junior Doctors) under "overenskomster" (the collective agreement).
If you have any questions or want clarification of issues, you can ask your trade union representative.
Working hours and norm period (clause 17)
A week has 37 working hours. Working hours must be planned to make up an average of 37 hours per week over a norm period.
The norm period is 14 weeks, but by agreement with the relevant Registrars' Council the period may be altered to not less than 4 weeks and not more than 26 weeks.
Your work plan must be ready at least four weeks in advance.
Overtime (clause 25)
At the end of the norm period the total working hours are calculated. If they exceed an average of 37 hours per week, the excess hours are overtime. Time is to be taken off in lieu of pay for overtime at a rate of 150%, that is one hour's overtime is counterbalanced by taking 1.5 hours off. If overtime is not counterbalanced by time off in the following calendar month, it is payable at the overtime rate (normal hourly rate + 50%).
Notice (clause 22 and clause 23)
If notice of overtime is not given at least 72 hours before the work starts, you are entitled to a short-notice supplement depending of the kind of overtime (either clause 22 or clause 23). You must remember to record it yourself.
Overtime in connection with an ordinary shift only triggers a short-notice supplement if the overtime exceeds three hours.
Notice of time taken off in lieu of payment must be given 72 hours before such period starts.
Normal work and duties at place of work (clause 18 and clause 19)
Each hour in day work or on duty at the place of work counts as one hour of working time irrespective of the actual work.
Duties outside place of work (clause 20)
Duties outside the place of work are made up of two elements: "on call" and actual work.
Being on call is remunerated by one-third hour for each hour on call. These hours can either be incorporated in the 37 hour working week or remunerated at the normal hourly rate.
Actual work while on duty is incorporated in the working hours and calculated in hours or fractions thereof. The Registrars' Council may make an agreement on the average actual work during the shift. If no agreement has been made, the actual work is computed on a continuous basis. In case of disagreement on the actual work performed, it is possible to prepare a work intensity calculation. You must remember to terminate any local agreements at the same time.
Duties outside the place of work must always follow at least six hours' normal work or duty at the place of work.
Actual work (clause 20)
During a duty period you may only perform actual work for 13 hours on average over a norm period. If the Registrars' Council has concluded an agreement on reduction of rest periods, you may perform actual work for 16 hours on average.
You may perform actual work for 16 hours during evening/night watches even though no agreement has been concluded.
The actual work performed is calculated exclusive of handovers.
If you have a shared duty, you may only perform actual work two-thirds of the period from 20:00 to 8:00 (clause 3(2)).
Frequency of shifts (clause 21)
If you work normal shifts, you may not be on duty after 18:00 more than once every six days on average over a norm period - that is 16 times if the norm period is of 14 weeks (14 weeks ´ 7 days divided by 6). Holiday periods are deducted from the norm period before the frequency of shifts is calculated.
The same applies to duties at your place of work. If you have a planned shift at your place of work after 18:00, this rule also applies to you even though you have a subsequent duty period outside your place of work.
You may not be on duty after 18:00 more than once every three days on average over a norm period, and if you have both types of duty, you may only be on duty once every five days on average over a norm period.
If due to vacancies, holidays or the like you are on duty more frequently, the salary for working hours after 18:00 of such shifts must be paid out as overtime and may not be included in the calculation of norm hours.
Yngre Læger has created a so-called "shift frequency wheel" which you can have free of charge by contacting Yngre Læger. This "wheel" enables you to calculate easily whether your shifts exceed those laid down in the rules on frequency of shifts.
Rest periods (clause 28)
You must have at least 11 hours of rest between two days' main work. The Registrars' Council may agree, though, that this rest period will be reduced to eight hours.
You may receive three telephone calls during your on-call duty without your rest period being interrupted.
Days off (clause 27)
You must have at least one day off every week. The Registrars' Council may agree, though, on a period of up to 12 days between each day off. A day off must last at least 35 hours. If the rest period has been reduced to eight hours, the day off must last at least 32 hours.
You must in any circumstances have two days off per week on average over a norm period.
Only in extraordinary situations may you be ordered to work more frequently than every second weekend.
Yngre Læger has created a so-called "shift frequency wheel" which you can have free of charge by contacting Yngre Læger. This "wheel" enables you to calculate easily whether your shifts exceed those laid down in the rules on frequency of shifts.
