Holiday bonus

Who has a right to a holiday bonus?

A full year’s employment, for this purpose, is 45 worked weeks or more, excluding holiday time. Holiday bonus is calculated for the time period 1 May to 30 April each year.

The bonus shall be paid on 1 June, based on the employee’s job proportion and length of employment during the holiday reference year, to all employees who have been in continuous employment for the same employer for 12 weeks during the previous 12 months as of 30 April OR who are employed during the first week of May.

The holiday bonus includes holiday pay, and it is a fixed sum that is not subject to change according to other provisions. Accrued holiday 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 holiday bonus during maternal/paternal 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. 

Time off against holiday bonus

The employee and the employer may reach an agreement to waive or reduce holiday 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.