A new parliamentary year has started – here are the key initiatives in the area of employment

True to tradition, the Danish Parliament has been opened on the first Tuesday in October, and in this connection, the Government has presented the legislative programme for the parliamentary year 2025/2026 of the Ministry of Employment.

The legislative programme presents the government’s political priorities for the coming year and contains several proposals of importance to both employers and employees. Among the most important initiatives are changes in the working environment, industrial injury insurance, efforts against social dumping, equal treatment and the use of foreign labour.

Below we have compiled an overview of the most important proposals in the legislative programme.

Amendment of the Working Environment Act and the Workers’ Compensation Act (relaxation of the duty to report accidents at work)

One of the proposed bills concerns amendments to the Working Environment Act and the Act on Industrial Injury Insurance. The proposal implies that the employer’s obligation to report occupational accidents must only occur from the injured person’s third day of absence – instead of from the first day of absence as is the rule today.

The aim is to simplify the regulatory framework and reduce the administrative burden on employers, especially in the case of short-term absence accidents. The initiative originates from the agreement on the municipalities’ finances for 2026, entered into between the government and KL in May 2025.

Revision of the Working Environment Act and follow-up on efforts against social dumping

The Government expects to present a bill later this year as part of the revision of the Working Environment Act and the Posting of Workers Act. The revision is statutory and requires the Minister of Employment to reconsider the legislation in the parliamentary year 2025/2026 to ensure that the provisions of the Posting of Workers Directive on minimum wages continue to be correctly implemented in Danish law – both through collective agreements and individual agreements.

At the same time, the Government is preparing for a follow-up of future political agreements on strengthened efforts against social dumping, which are expected to have practical significance for several industries.

Implementation of EU directives on equality bodies

At the beginning of 2026, the government plans to present a bill to amend the law on the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The bill will implement two EU directives that set minimum standards for the activities of national equality bodies in the member states.

The purpose is to ensure that the national bodies continue to live up to the EU’s requirements for independence, efficiency and sufficient resources, and thus strengthen the institutional framework for the work on equal treatment and the fight against discrimination in Denmark.

Introduction of ID cards on large construction sites

Another proposal in the legislative programme deals with the introduction of ID cards on major building and construction projects. It is proposed that projects with a total construction cost of DKK 100 million or more will in future be covered by a requirement for ID cards for all employees on the construction site.

The purpose is to strengthen control, transparency and documentation in the construction as well as to support orderly and legal conditions. The initiative is part of the government’s continued efforts against social dumping and originates from the government’s basis “Responsibility for Denmark” (December 2022) and the proposal on foreign labour from June 2025.

New business scheme for certified companies with foreign labour

The Government also proposes an amendment to the Aliens Act in February 2026 with a view to establishing a new business scheme for certified companies operating under orderly salary and employment conditions.

The scheme is intended to make it easier for these companies to recruit foreign labour, while at the same time ensuring that access to the Danish labour market takes place on a controlled and fair basis. The proposal is a follow-up to the government’s proposal on foreign labour and social dumping from June 2025.

Lack of proposals for implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive

The legislative programme does not include proposals for the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive 2023/970), which must be implemented by 7 June 2026.

Among other things, the directive requires companies to have greater transparency in wage determination, access to salary information for employees, an account of pay differences and a joint salary assessment.

Many companies are in the process of preparing for the coming requirements and a Danish bill is therefore awaited.