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WORKING IN DENMARK

Could Denmark follow Norway’s decision to scrap au pair scheme?

A trade union which represents au pairs in Denmark says it would not be beneficial to scrap the country’s au pair scheme, but that it must undergo reforms.

Published: 16 February 2024 15:39 CET
Could Denmark follow Norway’s decision to scrap au pair scheme?
At least two parties in Denmark's parliament want to drastically change the country's au pair rules. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Although much work can be done to improve the Danish au pair scheme, it would not make sense to follow the lead of Nordic neighbour Norway and scrap the scheme altogether, head of section with trade union FOA Pia Heidi Nielsen told Ritzau.

The Norwegian government on Wednesday decided to scrap the country’s au pair scheme with immediate effect, arguing that it had moved from a cultural exchange arrangement to one of cheap labour.

““From the start, the au pair scheme was about cultural exchange. To give young people, especially women, an opportunity to get a job and a place to live in return for providing help in the family. This is no longer the case,” Per Vidar Kjølmoen, an MP for the Norwegian Labour Party told the country’s TV 2 broadcaster.

Norway’s government first announced plans to scrap the scheme in early 2023, and the policy was part of the political platform on which the current Oslo government was formed in 2021.

Left-wing Danish parties SF and Red Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) have meanwhile proposed changes to the existing scheme in Denmark.

“We should not go the same way [as Norway] in Denmark. On the contrary, we should look at the scheme we have and improve it with an eye for protection [of au pairs] and pay,” Nielsen said. 

READ ALSO: What is Denmark’s au pair scheme and who can apply? 

She added that the work provided by au pairs in Denmark is in demand and would be taken be someone if no scheme was in place.

Red Green Alliance lawmaker Victoria Velásquez is one of the members of parliament to propose a change to Denmark’s existing au pair rules.

“Currently, au pairs are hugely short of rights, are vulnerable and underpaid. They must be given rights in line with the rest of the Danish labour market,” she said.

But introduction of such rights would represent a de facto end to the au pair scheme in its current form, she noted.

People in Denmark on au pair visas are permitted to work no more than 30 hours per week and must be paid at least 4,700 kroner per month.

The SF and Red Green Alliance porposal is scheduled for its first reading in parliament on Thursday next week.

The parties want the au pair scheme to be replaced a legally regulated work and residency scheme for persons defined as “family helpers”.

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WORKING IN DENMARK

Why are Danish experts recommending closure of all job centres?

Recommendations made by an expert commission to the government on employment and welfare advocate for closure of all municipal job centres.

Published: 24 June 2024 17:32 CEST
Why are Danish experts recommending closure of all job centres?

Denmark’s job centres, which are responsible for administration of social welfare benefits for people seeking employment and of facilitating training and work placements under welfare lows, should be closed according to recommendations handed to the government on Monday.

Additionally, over half of the current rules related to unemployment benefits should be scrapped and 9 in 10 sanctions for people who fail to comply with criteria such as attending meetings or applying for a set number of jobs.

Denmark has two broad tiers for those out of work: dagpenge, which provides an income calculated on the person’s tax payments while in employment, and the more basic kontanthjælp.

Dagpenge is available to people who a paying members of a semi-private uninsurance provider called an Arbejdsløshedskasse or A-kasse, while kontanthjælp is available to everyone.

Both groups must comply with legal requirements related to job searching in order to receive the benefits they qualify for – these are administered by municipal job centres.

READ ALSO:

When the coalition government took office at the end of 2022 it stated that it wanted to save three billion kroner annually by reforming the municipal unemployment area and improving its efficiency – specifically by targeting job centres.

This has led to an expert group, appointed by the government, making six specific requirements – those announce on Monday.

The government is not obliged to follow the recommendations.

But the expert group says there is much to gain from closing job centres.

“There’s great potential in replacing the current one-size-fits-all system with a new approach where individual needs are in focus,” group chairperson Claus Thustrup Kreiner said in a press statement.

The six broad recommendations are as follows:

  • Fewer target groups and special rules
  • Individual programmes
  • More balanced sanctions system
  • Abolish job centres and introduce free organisation at municipalities
  • Give more influence to A-kasse and private interests
  • Results, not system-based approach

|Source: DR

“Our report includes recommendations for the biggest reform of the jobseeking area ever, and will make the system cheaper, simpler and more dignified without weakening employment,” Kreiner said.

The national confederation for trade unions, Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation (FH), criticised the costcutting element of the recommendations in comments to broadcaster DR, and also said it would reduce the options and rights of jobseekers.

“I thought this was about giving unemployed people more freedom to decide what they need,” FH chairperson Nanna Højlund said.

“But the expert group clearly sees it as being about allowing municipalities to do exactly what they want,” she said.

The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) welcomed the proposals.

“The expert group has proposed a simplification of employment with fewer rules and benefit categories and with a large saving” DI deputy director Steen Nielsen said in a statement.

“That is a good idea because it’s difficult to run a job centre efficiently with the many different criteria and rules that must be met for each of the many categories,” he added.

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