Kay Xander MellishExpert on Danish business culture

Work-life balance in Denmark - and what about that "second shift"?

4 Aug 2023 · 1 min

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Denmark's work-life balance has a hidden cost: the "second shift" of answering work emails after dinner and bedtime. Expectations vary wildly by company and manager, so leaders need to spell out when employees actually get to disconnect, especially during vacation.

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We talk a lot about work-life balance in Denmark, about how many offices are vacant by 4:30 or 5:00, but what we don't talk about a lot is the unexplained, unannounced second shift, that you're kind of expected to answer an email after dinner or once the kids are in bed. Every company, every department, every boss has different expectations for this kind of off-the-clock work. So if you are the boss, if you are the team leader, and you have a new international on your team, explain to them what the rules are for you. And also tell them when they're not expected to kind of answer emails off the clock, such as when they're on vacation.