The importance of leisure time in Denmark
The Danes value their personal time and prioritise spending time with family and friends, pursuing hobbies and interests. As a result, work is not typically viewed as the most important aspect of life. This is reflected in the Danish work-life balance and employers are generally supportive of their employee’s efforts to balance work and family life.
Employers in Denmark practice ‘freedom under responsibility’. This means that there is a high level of trust between employer and employee, which is imperative to uphold the high level of flexibility and keep stress at a minimum.
The Danish concept of "hygge"
The importance of leisure time in Denmark, is closely related to the Danish cultural phenomenon of ‘hygge’. Hygge is hard to translate, but is can be used both as a noun, an adjective or a verb and means something like a state of cosiness, warmth and relaxation where everyone feels good. So, the Danes need leisure time in order to have time for ‘hygge’.
However, ‘hygge’ is also important in the work place, which is reflected in the informal, flat hierarchy that exists in most Danish work places. In addition, the lunch break and small social breaks during the day (preferably with cake and coffee) are considered an important part of Danish work culture, contributing to a relaxed feeling and balance between work and social activities.