Navigating Denmark's New Time Registration Landscape
As of July 1, 2024, a new time registration law mandates all employers in Denmark to implement an "objective, reliable, and accessible" system for tracking employee working hours. This requirement stems from the 2019 European Court of Justice ruling in the CCOO/Deutsche Bank case, aimed at enforcing the EU Working Time Directive. Employers must ensure compliance to avoid fines and penalties from the Danish Working Environment Authority.
This system must log total daily working hours, although tracking specific start and end times can further aid in compliance with required rest periods. Importantly, all data must be retained for a minimum of five years, with employees having access to their own records. This measure is essential for transparency and legal compliance, aligning with Denmark's "flexicurity" model, which balances employer flexibility with strong employee security.