Danish municipalities ordered to stop paid leave for employees doing voluntary emergency response work

A Danish oversight authority has ruled that municipalities cannot grant paid leave to employees performing voluntary emergency preparedness duties, forcing several local governments to abandon the practice, DR reports.

The Board of Appeal (Ankestyrelsen) issued a supervisory statement declaring the arrangement unlawful, after reviewing a case involving Varde Municipality. The decision affects all Danish municipalities that had introduced similar schemes, allowing employees to take paid time off for tasks such as guarding air bases, participating in drills, or monitoring waters with organisations like the Home Guard.

Guldborgsund Municipality, which launched its programme in May last year, has already withdrawn the scheme. Mayor Simon Hansen (Social Democrats) criticised the ruling as “silly,” arguing that municipalities were demonstrating civic responsibility by supporting employees who contribute to national preparedness.

“We’re a major employer, so there’s a clear need for us to participate in Denmark’s emergency preparedness community,” Hansen told DR. Without the paid leave, he warned, employees may now have to use their holiday time for such duties—or refrain from volunteering altogether.

Lolland Municipality, which introduced a nearly identical scheme around the same time, has also scrapped the arrangement. Deputy Mayor Allan Blak (Danish People’s Party) called the decision “unfortunate,” predicting it would discourage voluntary sign-ups. “People won’t want to lose income by taking unpaid time off from their regular jobs,” he said.

Per Nikolaj Bukh, a professor of management accounting at Aalborg University, explained that the core issue is legal: municipalities, as employers, cannot assign their staff to perform state tasks—such as Home Guard duties—while continuing to pay their salaries. “They simply aren’t permitted to do that,” he said.

The Board of Appeal’s ruling is advisory but carries significant weight; Bukh noted that municipalities “will have to comply immediately.” However, the decision does not permanently block such schemes. Bukh suggested the Folketing (Danish parliament) could legalise the practice by amending existing laws or adding a new clause.

Both Hansen and Blak expressed hope that a legislative solution would emerge. “I’d like to think it can happen,” Blak said.