What the happiest country gets right about work
8 things I’d import to America after studying work, productivity, and life in Denmark
I’m what you’d call a Danophile.
For more than a decade, I’ve harbored an obsession with Denmark. I jumped at any opportunity—despite my husband’s eye rolls—to drop a “Well, in Denmark…” into conversation.
I love how the Danes respect bikes the way we worship cars. I love how Danish babies nap outside cafés in their strollers. And I love their motto that there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. This small country consistently scores at or near the top of global happiness rankings despite spending half the year in darkness. How?
I was familiar with the safety net that a social democracy provides, still though, I felt there was more to discover about how a country with a work week shorter than our own (37 hours) continued to top productivity charts (Denmark’s GDP per hour worked is about 114% of U.S. levels once adjusted for purchasing power). In other words, what was happening in the Danish workplace that allowed them to get more work done in less hours?
I set out to answer that question and after years of studying Denmark—visiting multinationals, small businesses, and nonprofits, and speaking with economists, sociologists, and dozens of leaders—I’m convinced that while there’s a lot about the Danish approach to well-being we can’t replicate, there are elements in work culture that we can adopt.
8 things I’d import to America after studying work, productivity, and life in Denmark
Make work hours defined and respected.
The Danish workweek is slightly shorter than the American one, at 37 hours, and the boundaries are much firmer. Lunch is a strict 30 minutes, usually in a workplace canteen stocked with healthy food. This isn’t a perk designed to keep people at the office; it’s there to keep the day efficient. The canteen fills up fast and empties even faster.
A Danish people leader told me, “It’s not the hours that make us smarter.” If an employee consistently stays past 4pm, they’ll be asked why they can’t manage their workload (can you imagine this being said to you in the US?).
How we adopt this: Start evaluating employees on their ability to get work done in a bound time. (P.S. Mother’s of young kid are extraordinary at make the most of every work hour!)
Meetings start on time and end on time.
I’ll say it again: meetings start on time. In fact, five minutes early is ‘on time’—and on time might be late. I once arrived ten minutes early for a coffee chat, and the Dane still beat me. This is in part because to be late suggests you are more important than the other person—unDanish behavior.Bonus: A meeting cannot be called without an agenda. If you don’t send one, it’s seen as a sign of inefficiency, and over time you may not be trusted to lead meetings at all.
How we adopt this: Send an agenda and end meetings when the time is up. You’d be surprised how easy it is to create this culture if the leader models it.
Hold leaders responsible for their employees’ well-being.
One Danish SVP at a multinational bank told me, “My goal as a leader is to make sure my employees remain whole human beings.” Danish leaders aren’t looking for employees to bring their whole selves to work but are instead concerned with protecting employee’s energy so they have something left for their families, friends, and hobbies. If a manager leaves employees so depleted they can’t function that’s considered a leadership failure.
How we adopt this: An organization could tie manager’s compensation to their ability to create balanced employees.Make one long vacation each year mandatory.
In Denmark, three consecutive weeks off in the summer is common practice, and five weeks of total vacation a year is standard. A multinational executive said to me, “If I’ve created a team that can’t function without my presence for three weeks, then I haven’t built a functioning team.”
No notes.
How we adopt this: Create a corporate policy that mandates every employee to take a two week vacation. This will reduce burnout and force leaders to structure teams who aren’t “always on”.Acknowledge failure publicly.
There’s a concept in Denmark called kvajebajer and it means “failure beer”, or if during work hours failure cake. The person that makes the mistake, owns up to it and brings the cake!
Once, I was meeting with a senior leader at Novo Nordisk and his opening line was a cheerful, “Our stock is down because we made a huge error.” (He did not serve me cake though). I’m so used to hiding failure this really took me aback.
How we adopt this: Get some failure cake and starting owning the error along with the lesson.Replace micromanagement with clear expectations.
The assumption in Danish workplaces is that you’re doing what’s asked unless proven otherwise. Managers have little appetite for constant monitoring or performative check-ins. The worst thing you can say about a Danish colleague is “I don’t trust them.” Micromanaging is a direct sign of distrust and it’s simply not acceptable behavior.
How we adopt this: Call out micromanagement for what it is–poor management.Make pay more transparent.
Danes are far more open about what they earn, which flattens power dynamics and limits speculation. Imagine how much more negotiating power you’d have if you knew what everyone around you made.
How we adopt this: Share your salary with co-workers even thought it will make you wildly uncomfortable to stamp out the disparity of pay that’s often discriminatory.Treat hobbies as essential, not indulgent.
Danes don’t allow work to define their identity. That’s not to say Danes don’t find satisfaction and purpose in work! They do. But they’re Whole Humans. I’ve met senior leaders who paint, teach martial arts, snowboard, play tennis, and pursue countless hobbies. It’s extremely unusual (I haven’t experienced it yet) to meet a Dane without multiple hobbies outside of work.
How we adopt this: Get a hobby!
Watching Danes hobby in the summer months is a hobby all of its own
We’re not going to get universal childcare, or free college tuition, and the train will not run on time and we aren’t going to move to trusting government or institutions, but I do believe our work places can change.
Even if an entire organization isn’t willing to change, the culture of a team is often set by a leader. If you’re a leader, give a few of these tactics a try. If you aren’t a leader yet, bookmark behaviors you’d like to emulate. And, if you know someone that’s a people leader, give this share.
My favorite ways of acting a little more Danish have been the no agenda=no meeting rule, creating bounded work hours and, of course, hobbies!
Your turn: What’s one work norm you could see yourself or your organization adopting?
Your friend,
P.S. If this post was useful to you please give it a ❤️. It really, truly helps with discovery.
For more on Denmark:
In January, we covered goal setting for careers, households, families and hobbies. If you’re an Annual subscriber you should have received an invite from me for Friday, February 6th at 12pm EST. I’ll kick us off with some key lessons and then we’ll workshop your goals. I cannot wait to see your faces and hear your voices!
January tends to be a low spend month and around mid-Feb I enjoy getting a pretty thing. I position this as a Valentine’s Day gift from my family to me because they love me ;)
Left to Right:
I won’t make time for a facial, I would rather use that hour to play tennis. But this two minute face wash is like a mini facial (on sale!).
Sleepwear is my favorite splurge category to be gifted: lounge set in green. Or sleep set in this red combo top, bottom (not for lounging!).
I am 10 years late to the party but this is the softest bathrobe.
Have worn this lab diamond multi-stone necklace for 4 years without ever taking off.
Mahjong scalloped towels for a little powder room hobby flex.
I’ve wanted these adorable pouches since my GenZ students made their gift guide in December.
An affordable cashmere sweater—a wonderful oxymoron.
What says Valentine’s more than a heart blouse
Fresh sheets in pinstripe green to channel spring (on sale).
The world’s best white t-shirt. Does not wrinkle.
A cutie little bag made in Italy / Italian leather.
What says Valentine’s more than a heart blouse?
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I was born and raised in Poland and then came to US. Since I was very young I quickly adopted to America’s way of life. And then went back to visit and started questioning this way of life. Since then I adopted:
1) one long family vacation outside US. 10-14 days long. Non-negotiable
2) small trips outside our home town every month. Even if it’s a trip to Savannah (we live in Atlanta) area
3) when I was still in corporate:
a) no agenda, no meeting rule. Questioned every leader for agenda if they sent out meeting request without one.
b) started leaving work at 5pm every day in the last year of my life in corporate.
4) outside of corporate I followed your advise. Hobbies are the best activities for a healthy and fulfilling life.
Everything else I don’t do that you outlined in your article I plan to implement ASAP.
Great read!
“Start evaluating employees on their ability to get work done in a bound time. (P.S. Mother’s of young kid are extraordinary at make the most of every work hour!)”
YES! This is the truth. I posted something to this effect on LinkedIn and it went viral 🤣.