Who has a right to a December bonus?
A full year’s employment, for this purpose, is 45 worked weeks or more, excluding holiday time or 1.653,75 hours for office workers or 1.743,75 for shop workers. The bonus shall be paid no later than on 15 December based on the employee’s job proportion and length of employment, to all employees who have been in continuous employment for the same employer for 12 weeks over the past 12 months OR who are employed during the first week of December.
An agreement may be reached with the employee to the effect that the settlement period runs from 1 December to 30 November of each year instead of the calendar year.
The December bonus includes holiday pay, and it is a fixed sum that is not subject to change according to other provisions. Accrued December bonus shall be settled upon termination of employment in the event that such termination occurs prior to the due date for the bonus.
Earning of December bonus during maternity/paternity leave
After one year in the employment of the same employer, any absence due to legally prescribed childbirth leave shall be counted as working time when calculating the holiday bonuses. The same applies in the case of women who, as a safety precaution, have to stop work during pregnancy, cf. the Regulations on measures to improve health and safety at work for women who are pregnant, have recently given birth or are breast-feeding.
Holiday against December bonus
The employee and the employer may reach an agreement to waive or reduce December bonuses, with corresponding periods of leave being granted instead, based on the wages of the individual worker. Such leave shall be granted in the form of whole or half working days.