Sickness absence – Pregnancy-related sickness absence

Content

If an employee’s physician deems her sickness to be related to pregnancy, the employee may take leave with her usual salary sooner than six weeks prior to the expected delivery date. This applies in the following situations:

a) If medical assessment indicates that the pregnancy is affected by a medical condition which will cause a risk to the mother or child in case the mother continues to work.

b) If the pregnancy prevents the treatment of an illness, or if the pregnancy causes considerable deterioration of an illness which is not otherwise connected to the pregnancy.

c) If the special character or design of a workplace involves a risk to the development of the baby and/or the further course of the pregnancy.

d) If provisions stipulated by the government causes the pregnancy to prevent the woman from carrying out her work, and the employer is unable to offer her other suitable work tasks. 

In case of pregnancy-related sickness absence, the place of employment will receive reimbursement of sickness benefit from the first sick day caused by the illness covered by any of the situations mentioned above. 

AAU must conduct a pregnancy workplace assessment to ensure a safe working environment for the pregnant staff member. AAU’s central OHS section has prepared the following guides for pregnancy workplace assessments:

Pregnancy workplace assessment – office work and teaching

Pregnancy workplace assessment –  laboratory work, cleaning staff etc.

Required documentation

Staff members report sick to their place of work as stipulated in the procedures applying at their place of work. Staff members indicate both that the sick leave is pregnancy-related and the expected date of birth.

Both pieces of information are reported to Udbetaling Danmark in order to evaluate the possibility of maternity/paternity benefits reimbursement earlier than six weeks before the expected date of birth (cf. above).

All staff members are obligated to stay informed via their e-box on reporting sick on a part-time basis due to pregnancy-related sickness absence. This includes responding to inquiries from Udbetaling Danmark in a timely manner with regard to evaluating maternity/paternity benefits reimbursement to the place of work during the sick leave.

Purpose and delimitation

Procedure regarding pregnancy-related sickness absence. These procedures apply to all staff members at Aalborg University.

Overall framework

The area is regulated by the following Danish legislation:

Bekendtgørelse om arbejdets udførelse (Executive Order on the Performance of Work)

Barselsloven (The Danish Parental Leave Act)

Contact your department or the HR Department for further information.

Contact and responsibility

In the event of pregnancy-related sickness absence, the place of work must send an email to the HR Department at: 

Hr-fravaer@adm.aau.dk