Who should take parental leave – and when?

Planning maternity leave can be an exciting but also challenging process for many new parents. When you have twins or triplets, the added twist is that you alone on maternity leave are just outnumbered by the number of babies.

In this post, I’ll go through how the parental leave system works in Denmark, what options there are for sharing between mum and dad, and I’ll give tips on how to structure your parental leave so that it benefits mum, partner, career and twins or triplets.

There is no right or wrong way to divide your parental leave. It’s individual to what both children and parents thrive in, whether the twins are born on time or premature, need extra support, finances, etc. There are many factors that come into play when planning maternity leave.

Start by checking the parental leave rules at your workplace and in your collective labour agreement – they vary.

Parental leave rules in Denmark – an overview
In Denmark, parents are entitled to parental leave with pay or benefits, and this right is divided into several different periods that parents can divide between them. Let’s take a quick overview:

Pregnancy leave (before birth):
The mother is entitled to go on leave four weeks before the expected birth.

Maternity leave (after birth):
The mother is entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave after giving birth. These weeks are earmarked for the mother.

Paternity leave:
The father or the co-mother who has legal rights to the child is entitled to two weeks of paternity leave, which must be taken within the first 10 weeks after the birth. These weeks are earmarked and cannot be transferred.

Parental leave:
After the mother’s 14 weeks of maternity leave, parents have 32 weeks of parental leave, which can be divided between mum and dad. In 2022, a new law was introduced that each parent has 11 weeks of earmarked leave. If one parent does not take their earmarked weeks, they cannot be transferred to the other parent and the weeks will be lost. The remaining 10 weeks can be freely divided between the parents.

Extra twin parental leave:
Parents of twins born from 1 May 2024 will get an extra 26 weeks of leave with parental benefit. The extra 26 weeks of leave will be divided with 13 weeks of leave for each parent, which must be taken within one year. The leave cannot be transferred between parents, but parents will be able to share the extra leave with a social parent.

Home childcare
In many of the country’s municipalities, it is now possible to get a subsidy for home childcare. However, it is up to each municipality to decide whether to subsidise parents to look after their children themselves. It is also up to each municipality to determine the size of the subsidy. At the low end, some municipalities subsidise just under DKK 3,000, while other municipalities subsidise around DKK 8,000 per child. If you want to keep your children at home for longer than your parental leave allows, it may make sense to find out what your municipality offers for home childcare and whether your employer can and will grant leave for this.

Distribution options – how can you plan your parental leave?
When planning your parental leave, it’s important to consider the needs of the family and the work situation of both parents. There are many options for customising a maternity plan, and some of the most popular strategies include:

Traditional sharing:
Many families opt for a more traditional split, with the mother taking the majority of parental leave and the father keeping his two earmarked weeks plus some extra weeks from parental leave. This can allow the mum to spend the first several months with the twins while the dad takes over later.

Equal sharing:
More and more families are choosing to share parental leave more equally, especially after the introduction of earmarked weeks for both parents. For example, you can choose to have the mum take the first 6 months and the dad take over for the next 6 months. This gives both parents time to bond with the children and take an active role in caring for them.
Following the new rules for extra parental leave for parents of twins and triplets, there are also many who share parental leave equally and take some or all of their parental leave together.

Overlapping leave:
Another option is for mum and dad to take part of their parental leave together. For example, you can plan a period where both parents are home at the same time. This can be especially useful in the beginning, when the new everyday life with two babies can be overwhelming.

Flexible sharing:
One of the benefits of the Danish system is flexibility. You can agree with your employer to take part-time leave or extend your parental leave by up to 14 weeks without benefits to give parents more time with the twins. You can also choose to spread the leave over a longer period of time, for example, by taking a week’s leave every month while the children grow up.

How does parental leave affect the employer?
It’s important to include your employer in the planning. The employer has the right to be informed about when and how maternity leave will be organised, and there are often good opportunities to make flexible arrangements depending on the size and needs of the company. Some companies even offer additional parental leave terms, so check your contracts and any collective agreements.

Tips for distributing parental leave in a good way

Communicate openly:
Talk openly with your partner about how you both want to spend your parental leave. It’s a good idea to start these conversations early so you have time to find a division that works for both of you.

Consider both career and family life:
Think about how parental leave will affect both of your careers. For some families, it can be important to ensure that both parents have time for both their children and their work.

Be flexible:
Life with children is unpredictable and you may need to adjust your plans along the way. Make sure you have a flexible approach if your needs or situation change. For example, if your multiples are born prematurely and you need to think outside the box due to a longer hospitalisation period.

Get your finances in order:
Make sure you have an overview of how parental leave will affect your finances. Check your entitlement to unemployment benefits, any employer schemes and what will happen if one of you chooses to extend the leave without pay.

Sharing parental leave in Denmark gives parents a unique opportunity to balance family life and career. With a flexible approach, you can ensure that both mum and dad can spend time with their children – while maintaining contact with the labour market. Remember to plan ahead, consider each other’s needs and be open to adjusting plans if necessary.

Parental leave is a unique time, and the most important thing is that both parents and children get the best possible start in life together.

Examples of parental leave sharing from other parents of twins

“We have been under the old maternity leave. We took 11 weeks together to start. Dad went to work. My maternity leave ended (by choice) after 22 weeks and then dad had the rest of the leave + 8 weeks of home care. Afterwards, I regret that we didn’t prioritise more months together and maybe start daycare earlier, e.g. at 10 months”
– Mette

“We were under the old rules. I got all the parental leave I could from dad as it was the most financially viable and it worked fine once you learnt to pick up both children 👌😂”
– Katrine

“As my husband is a self-employed childminder in his own home, he only takes two weeks of maternity leave after giving birth. He then transfers everything he can to me, so I end up with 52 weeks (what I’m allowed). He then saves 7 weeks until they are older or in dribs and drabs. His extra 13 weeks (due to twins) he transfers to someone else, presumably my mum, as they can’t be transferred to me.”
– Anonymous

“One small thing we thought was smart for us was that I saved some of the holiday I had saved up on maternity leave. So instead of using, say, 15 days of holiday before starting work, I saved them and agreed with my work that I would have one day of holiday a week for, say, 15 weeks. It made returning to work and life with children in daycare a little easier.”
– Anonymous

“We’ve split all leave equally and including a little holiday it gives my husband 10 months and me 11 months, which we take together ♥️”
– Anonymous

For those of you with the new parental leave rules for multiples – how did you choose to split your parental leave with an additional 26 weeks available? Please share in the comments section!