In Greater Copenhagen, every day is family time. In daily life, where people enjoy 16 hours of leisure time, family comes first.
First-class working conditions also means having first-class leisure time conditions, and you get both in Greater Copenhagen, where 92 percent of the inhabitants are satisfied with their working conditions!
Luckily, working conditions are the same for you as an expat as they are for local residents. This means that you are entitled to at least five weeks of paid holiday after 12 months’ employment, paid salary during illness and time off to take care of your sick child, should he or she fall ill. Moreover, in Greater Copenhagen you are entitled to at least 52 weeks of parental leave with compensation, which can be shared with your partner.
All in all, Greater Copenhagen offers exciting careers and a great working culture while still providing the time and freedom to live and share life with the people you love.
Growing up Nordic
Affordable childcare is an essential part of life in Greater Copenhagen, where children are seen and treated as independent individuals – preparing them not only to cope with life but also to actively participate in it.
In Greater Copenhagen, the education of children is inquiry-based with an inclusive, creative and independent focal point, and schooling generally doesn’t begin before school start when children are 5 or 6 years old. Until then, children just get to be children.
Nurseries and kindergartens have trained professional staff who have completed a 3.5-year bachelor education, and the day care facilities are usually open between 07:00-17:00, which means both parents can work because of the flexible work hours in most workplaces. Furthermore, state-funded schools are popular with 75 percent of the children in Greater Copenhagen attending state-funded schoola. State-funded schools are also a great way for foreign families to get to know the locals.
And it’s affordable too! State-funded schools are free, and the monthly fee for nurseries and kindergartens range from EUR 140-355, making Greater Copenhagen highly competitive compared to for example London with a monthly fee of roughly EUR 1200.
Schools are free
In Greater Copenhagen education is free. Any child from the age of 5 or 6 can attend a local state-funded primary and secondary school and later, high school and university.
Great emphasis is given to learning through play, and the education is inquiry-based with an inclusive, creative and independent focal point. Children are not expected to simply mechanically memorise rhymes and tables. They are instead taught in vibrant, innovative environments, encouraged to apply their knowledge.
You can also choose an international school in Greater Copenhagen. The language of instruction will be English, and Danish or Swedish will be taught as a foreign language. Useful, if you are planning to stay for a longer period. The tuition fee for international schools vary and sometimes a small government subsidy is available.
The best maternity and paternity rights
Greater Copenhagen offers some of the best maternity and paternity rights in the world. Both parents are expected to take leave with the arrival of their new baby and as a result, Greater Copenhagen has a very high level of gender equality and almost all women work full-time.
Parents have the right to 52 weeks leave with maternity subsistence allowance, of which 36 weeks can be divided between you and your partner according to your wishes. In Sweden, parental leave is 480 days of leave.
Both you and your partner have the right to 240 days leave each. During the first year, you can go on parental leave at the same time and both get parental benefits. So in Greater Copenhagen, both you and your partner will get to spend the first important year or more with your new little one.
