The Civil Service in Denmark: From a Public to a Private Law Employment Regime

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Civil Service in Denmark

T2 - From a Public to a Private Law Employment Regime

AU - Hemme, Mette Søsted

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Karl-Peter Sommermann, Adam Krzywoń and Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle.

PY - 2025/1/1

Y1 - 2025/1/1

N2 - The public sector in Denmark was expanded throughout the 20th century, and in particular the development of the welfare State led to an increase in civil servants in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the public sector employs close to a third of the country’s active labour force. Collective bargaining agreements are the main form of employment in the public sector, while only approximately 5% are employed as civil servants under statutory legislation. This chapter provides a detailed examination of the legal framework for both types of employees. It is concluded that, over time, there has been a development from a public law regime to private law forms of employment in the Danish civil service, and the factors that contributed to this development are discussed. Overall, the traditional dichotomy between public and private law is difficult to uphold in this field of law.

AB - The public sector in Denmark was expanded throughout the 20th century, and in particular the development of the welfare State led to an increase in civil servants in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the public sector employs close to a third of the country’s active labour force. Collective bargaining agreements are the main form of employment in the public sector, while only approximately 5% are employed as civil servants under statutory legislation. This chapter provides a detailed examination of the legal framework for both types of employees. It is concluded that, over time, there has been a development from a public law regime to private law forms of employment in the Danish civil service, and the factors that contributed to this development are discussed. Overall, the traditional dichotomy between public and private law is difficult to uphold in this field of law.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85218005159&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.4324/9781003458333-9

DO - 10.4324/9781003458333-9

M3 - Book chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85218005159

SN - 9781032499369

SP - 114

EP - 133

BT - The Civil Service in Europe

A2 - Sommermann, Karl-Peter

A2 - Krzywoń, Adam

PB - Taylor and Francis Group

CY - London

ER -