Danes across the political spectrum push to fix parental leave gap for entrepreneurs

Multiple Danish political parties are calling for a fix to a gap in parental leave legislation that can leave entrepreneurs with little or no income during maternity or paternity leave, according to a report by DR.

Under current Danish rules, parental leave payments are calculated either on the basis of an employee’s salary or on the turnover of their business, but not on a combination of the two. This means people who run their own company while also holding a salaried job cannot combine their total income when calculating their entitlement, leaving some with significantly reduced or no payments at all.

The issue is being highlighted today by Danske Iværksættere, a Danish entrepreneurs’ association, together with a broad coalition of organisations, who are urging politicians to act.

Liberal Alliance’s business spokesperson Freja Brandhøj said she is ready to table a legislative proposal as soon as a new government is in place. “We owe it to these people to give them full support, because they are taking a risk by starting their own business. We should support them at least as much as everyone else, if not more,” she said.

Sinem Demir of the left-wing party Enhedslisten, who has herself started a business from scratch, framed the issue as one of equal rights. “Your parental leave options should not depend on how you have structured your working life,” she said.

Sigurd Agersnap of the Socialist People’s Party, who has raised the matter with ministers on several occasions, added: “It is not only the parents who are let down, but also children who deserve a calm period with their parents at the start of their lives.”

DR contacted several parties in the Folketing. Both Venstre and the Moderates also called for a quick solution, though neither would commit to backing the specific wording of Liberal Alliance’s proposal before it has been formally presented in parliament.