Work accidents and insurance – your obligations as an employer

As an employer of workers posted in Denmark, you are obliged to insure your employees against the financial consequences of work accidents.  You do that by taking out and paying for a Workers’ Compensation insurance issued by an insurance company.

Your employees are automatically covered against the consequences of occupational diseases. You pay your contribution to the Labour Market Insurance and other mandatory employer contributions via "Samlet Betaling" (Combined Payments), which you receive from ATP (The Labour Market Supplementary Pension Scheme). 

What is a work accident?

A work accident is a sudden event in connection with work that results in physical or psychological injury to a person.

A work accident can also be an injury caused by exposure that has lasted less than five days.

When is a work accident notifiable?

As an employer, you have a duty to report work accidents and cases of poisoning if:

• Your employee is unable to perform the usual work (incapacity to work) for at least one day in addition to the day of the accident.
• As a result of the accident, your employee is likely to qualify for benefits under the Danish Workers’ Compensation Act, e.g. compensation for permanent injury.
• Your employee is expected to be on sick leave for five weeks or more.

You must report the accident at the latest nine days from the first day of absence.

When an employer reports a work accident, the Worker’s Compensation insurer covers the costs involved. This means that the insurance company covers all the costs involved in the case. The insurance company also pays any damages and compensation.

How to report a work accident

Companies with a Danish business registration number (CBR) must report work accidents using the EASY electronic reporting system.

Report a work accident using your CBR number (in English, requires Danish NemID) 

Foreign service providers who have registered with the Register of Foreign Service Providers (RUT) can report work accidents in a separate part of the EASY program. In this case the company must enter its RUT number.

Report a work accident using your RUT number (in English) 

Foreign companies that have neither a CBR nor an RUT number can report accidents by filling in a form.

Report by filling in a form (in English) 

Reporting of occupational diseases

An occupational disease is a disease that is wholly or partially caused by short-term or long-term exposure at work. The Danish Workers’ Compensation Act defines the types of diseases that are accepted as being occupational diseases.

Employers are not obliged to report occupational diseases.

Employees who think they may have acquired an occupational disease can ask their doctor to report it. Doctors and dentists are obliged to report any diseases they suspect were caused by a patient’s work.

Fatal accidents

Deaths that may have been caused by a work accident or disease and deaths that occur in a workplace must be reported to the Labour Market Insurance within 48 hours.

Call tel. +45 20 42 63 97.

Work accidents resulting in death must also be reported in EASY.

Fines and demands for payment

If you are obliged to take out Workers’ Compensation insurance for your employees, and you fail to do so, you may incur a fine. 

If you have failed to take out Workers’ Compensation insurance and one of your employees is injured, the Labour Market Insurance will make any payments on your behalf. You will subsequently be asked to refund the compensation paid to the injured party and the expenses incurred in connection with the case. 

If you have a duty to report an accident and help the Labour Market Insurance investigate the matter, and you fail to do so, you may incur a fine.

The Danish Working Environment Authority monitors serious work accidents

If you report a serious work accident, the Danish Working Environment Authority may pay an inspection visit. The purpose of the visit is to ensure that you have taken the necessary precautions to prevent the accident from reoccurring.