On The Clock: The Challenge Of Tracking Working Time

Employers worldwide are required to record staff working hours, but these obligations vary and often come with country-specific challenges. Below, we examine the particularly interesting case of Denmark, and three key problem areas that arise for employers in this area. We have then asked 20 other jurisdictions to comment on their own frameworks and the unique challenges they face. Their responses are summarised in a table at the end of the article.

Employers in Denmark must implement a system for recording the daily working hours of employees. However, almost a year on from the introduction of this obligation, challenges still persist.

This obligation was introduced for employers in Denmark to ensure (and document) compliance with the rules on daily and weekly rest periods (the 11-hour and 24-hour rules), as well as the so-called 48-hour rule on maximum weekly working hours. It has been effective since 1 July 2024 following amendments to the Danish Working Time