Summer job inspections find many young workers unaware of rights

Inspectors from the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (FH) are visiting workplaces across the country this week to ensure young summer workers know their rights and that employers comply with the rules.

Katrine Graversen, FH’s summer job patrol coordinator, said many young workers are aware they have rights but roughly one in four do not know the specific regulations that apply to them.

“You must not lift heavy objects, and you must not be left alone in the shop,” are among the rules for young workers, she noted.

At SuperBrugsen on Fanø, souschef Carsten Christensen welcomed the inspection. He said the store follows new guidelines from Coop Danmark and takes care to respect young workers’ rights.

“I was young once, and I had visits from the job patrol. I think they do a great job,” Christensen said. “Some places misuse young workers, and that’s concerning. They are our future, and if they get off on the wrong foot in retail, it’s a problem.”

The summer campaign runs through week 29, continuing a tradition that has seen the job patrol operate every summer since 1979.