HR for AU employed PhD students

Who to contact

Your PhD administrator is your HR partner if you are employed by Aarhus University.
For questions related to this website's content and your employment letter. please contact your PhD administrator.
All questions related to illness and parental leave must be asked to Bettina Holmbo Acthon

Parental leave

You are entitled to parental and adoption leave.
The entitlement to your ordinary salary during pregnancy, parental and adoption leave is regulated in the Danish state’s agreement settled by the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Trade Unions.
In the event of absence due to parental or adoption leave, enrolment is extended by the period that lies within the original enrolment period.
Pursuant to the existing deadlines, information concerning parental leave and adoption must be given to both the department and the PhD Administration for the purpose of authorisation regarding leave of absence.

Please visit this page for more information.

Illness

You are entitled to your ordinary salary during illness in accordance with the provisions thereon set out in the collective agreement. Notification of illness must be made in accordance with the procedures laid down at the department
- Department: The relevant registrant at the department must be notified when the first day of illness begins. It is important that you keep the department informed of the duration of your illness.
- Graduate School: In case of illness lasting more than 14 days, the PhD administration (Bettina H. Acthon) must be notified no later than on the 13^th day of illness, as the PhD administration obtains refund from the public sector for employees absent due to illness.
As soon as illness has ended, the department and the PhD administration must be notified.
In the event of absence due to long-term illness, the period of employment may be extended based on a concrete and individual assessment.
If the period of employment expires during your absence, and if you are deemed to qualify for an extension, the period of employment may be extended for a period equal to the time during which you have been absent due to long-term illness within the original period of employment.
The extension of your period of employment will take effect when you report fit for work. In case of long-term absence due to illness (a year after your employment period expired) the extension will be based on a concrete assessment.

Please visit this page for more information.

Psychological Counselling Service

AU has entered an agreement with Dansk Erhvervspsykologi, a health advisory company, to provide psychological counselling for all the University's employees with work-related problems
It is free of charge for the employees at Aarhus University
For further information please see this page:
http://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/administration/hr/workingenvironment/psychological-work-environment/psychological-counselling-service/
Please contact the head of your department to be granted sessions

Terms of contract

Salary and Employment

You have received your employment letter via mail or in your e-Boks.
- If you cannot find it, please contact your PhD programme administrator
The terms and conditions in your employment letter are the applicable
For more information please visit this page.

Residence during employment

Living in Denmark during employment

During your employment at Aarhus University you are expected to be present at your workplace on an everyday basis.
It is expected that you stay in Denmark during your employment, with the exception of official trips such as participation in conferences, courses, field studies and research environment change/stay abroad.

Stay abroad during your employment at Aarhus University

If you leave Denmark for 6 months or more you must inform your local authority ("kommune").
Please note that changing your official address to another country during your lengthy stay abroad may affect your right to Danish social security (incl. benefits due to parental leave or long-term illness).
Aarhus University
- Danish social security
- International Social Security
borger.dk (only in Danish)
- Social sikring ved arbejde i udlandet
- Udrejse fra Danmark i mere end 6 måneder

Social security

Danish social security

As an employee of Aarhus University, you are covered by the Danish social security system. The social security systems includes the right to receive hospital treatment and access to a pension, unemployment benefits, family benefits and child allowances. In Denmark, social security is financed through taxation.
For further information please see https://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/administration/hr/recruitment-and-employment/translate-to-english-dansk-social-sikring

International social security

International social security rules determine which country's rules apply. International social security rules are therefore rules concerning choice of law. The choice of law does not determine whether a person is entitled to social security. This is decided by national legislation.
For further information please see https://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/administration/hr/recruitment-and-employment/international-social-security

Addendum to your employment contract when going abroad

According to the “Act on employment contracts and certain working conditions” from 2023 Aarhus University must draw up an addendum to your employment contract if you are going abroad for four or more consecutive weeks.
This means that if you are a PhD fellows (5+3 and 4+4 part B) employed by Aarhus University you must fill out the form below at least one month before leaving for your research stay abroad. Form: Change of environment abroad with a duration of 4 weeks or more
- Danish version
- English version

Union representative

Your union representative can help you if you have questions about your employment and the collective agreement.

School of Communication and Culture: Marie Lund
School of Culture and Society: Peter Bugge
Danish School of Education: Bjørg Kjær

Absence, Leave and Part-time

Part-time

When you apply for part-time it must be for the rest of your enrolment/enpolyment. We do not grant part-time for shorter periods of time.

Application form: Danish version - English version

Please note that the graduate school does not grant part-time or part-time leave from your PhD employment in connection with appointments to other work at Aarhus University. Please apply for full unpaid leave if you have been offered other work at Aarhus University that has academic relevance to the PhD project.

Security in international research and innovation collaboration (URIS guidelines)

Danish research institutions and companies are an attractive target for espionage, and it has been confirmed that intelligence services in a number of countries have identified Danish research as a priority target.because Denmark is a world leader in a number of fields. The complexity of situation is compounded by the fact that universities and researchers in these countries are among the most attractive potential collaborators for Danish research. The committee on guidelines for international research and innovation collaboration (URIS) has set out guidelines for Danish research institutions, including Aarhus University, that are intended to protect our research and research findings.

For further information please see:

Security in international research and innovation collaboration (URIS guidelines). Danish website - English website
Background screening: Danish website - English website
Background screening on visiting scholars from high-risk countries: English website

Leave without salary

Please apply for full unpaid leave if you have been offered other work at Aarhus University that has academic relevance to the PhD project.

Application form: Danish version - English version

Other leave including deaths and funerals

Other leave

Rules for other leave (HR's website): English version - Danish version
Aarhus University guidelines on student's leave of absence: Danish version

Deaths and funerals

Rules for time off with pay (HR's website): English version - Danish version
Immediate superior = head of your department

Leave for family reasons (care leave)

Request for leave: Danish version - English version

Application for extension due to leave: Danish version - English version

Holiday

Holiday will be earned and held pursuant to the Danish Holiday Act (Ferieloven) and the provisions set out in the circular on the agreement regarding holiday.
Holidays are arranged with the department.
The University’s guidelines for holiday leave and special days of holiday are available here: medarbejdere.au.dk/en/administration/hr/holiday/

Accrual of holidays

You earn 2.08 days of paid holiday for each month of employment, corresponding to 25 days of holiday each year.
For each month of employment in the year of accrual, you earn 0.42 special holiday days, or five days a year.

When can you use your holiday allowance?

Unused days of holiday earned before employment as PhD fellow must be taken before the end of the holiday year according to the stipulations in the holiday agreement. The holiday may be taken as it is earned
Special holiday days are earned during the calendar year and are held in the period 1 May to 30 April.
Holiday earned during employment must be taken before the end of the holiday year according to the stipulations in the holiday agreement, and as far as possible before the end of the employment contract.

Who should I contact if I want to take a vacation?

Please contact the relevant registrant at the department and the head of your department.

Paid holidays at Aarhus University

Please see this page for more information

For further information

Please go to HR webpage

Essentials & Guidelines

Work related accidents

Work related accidents must be reported by filling out this online form:
https://virk.atp.dk/easy/en/frit/anmeld/hvemanmelder?cvr=31119103
When the accident has been reported, the work accident team will go through the report and handle the procedure of sending the information.
Please note that pursuant to the Danish Working Environment Act, the employer (Aarhus University) must report accidents at work within fourteen days.
Please see this page for further information:
https://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/administration/hr/workingenvironment/reportinginjuries

If you are ill due to a work related accidents it is also important that you inform Bettina H. Acthon in the PhD administration if you are absent for more than 14 days due to the accident.

Insurance

What happens in case of an accident where a person is injured or laboratory equipment or other facilities are damaged.?
Who is responsible, and who will bear the financial risk?
For further information please see: https://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/administration/hr/recruitment-and-employment/insurance/insurance

The whistleblower scheme

The whistleblower scheme at Aarhus University is intended to make it easier to report suspicions or knowledge of unlawful activities, serious incidents of bullying and harassment or other serious offences without the risk of reprisals.
If you want more information about the whistleblower scheme please visit this page

Questions?

Please contact your PhD administrator

In case of illness

Please remeber to notify the registrant at the department that you are ill at the start of the working day on the first day of illness.
Illness lasting more than 14 days: Bettina H. Acthon in the PhD administration must also be notified

Parental leave

Please contact Bettina H. Acthon
Press here for more information

Career services for PhD students

Individual career counselling
Workshops and events
Career toolkit

Revised 18.02.2025

Bettina Holmbo Acthon