Copenhagen Proposes Eligibility for Unemployment Benefits for Sex Workers

Spicing up Danish work policies for sex workersDagbladet.dk*

It's high time to revamp the working conditions for adult entertainers in the Danish capital, according to Louise Theilade Thomsen, a senior city councilor in Copenhagen. A series of recommendations have been made to the Danish government, including the right for sex workers to join unemployment insurance funds, commonly known as 'A-kasser.'

The city wants to explore the possibility of sex workers being recognized as employees, allowing them access to benefits such as paid sick leave, holiday pay, and the choice to enroll in an unemployment insurer or an A-kasse.

At present, unemployment insurance in Denmark is voluntary, and employees are not automatically insured against job loss. Instead, unemployment benefits are managed by private unemployment insurance funds, known as A-kasser. However, existing laws prevent sex workers from participating in these insurance funds, as they are not classified as employees or wage earners.

"Sex work is legal in Denmark, and yet society masquerades as moral police against those employed in the industry," Thomsen stated.

Among the suggestions is the entitlement for sex workers to receive compensation for lost income due to regular sickness or violence/sexual assault. Thomsen questioned why sex workers should pay taxes on their earnings but be denied compensation for lost income or maternity leave benefits.

Furthermore, Thomsen raised concerns about establishing a safe working environment for sex workers and ensuring justice when they are subjected to violence or abuse. She shared, "We are not doing enough to protect the men and women working in this profession or to ensure justice when they face violence."

Last month, Thomsen met with representatives from the Sex Workers' Interest Organization (SIO) and the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) to discuss these issues. The group has since sent joint recommendations to four government ministers, including former Copenhagen Mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, now Minister for Social Affairs and Housing.

Additional recommendations submitted to the government include the option for sex workers to report abuse anonymously, as undocumented foreign sex workers may fear deportation if they report abuse.

In the Neighborhood

#Working in Denmark

Join the chat below and share your opinions and experiences! If you have questions or suggestions for our journalists, feel free to email us at news@our website. Please remember to keep comments civil, informative, and on topic while following our terms of use.

Already a member? Log in here to leave your comment.

Context & Insights

While specific Danish government proposals that focus on improving working conditions and access to social protections for sex workers are not currently available, broader trends in the Nordic region can offer some insights.
Nordic countries, including Denmark, generally follow a Nordic model, criminalizing the purchase of sex but not the sale. This approach aims to decrease exploitation in the sex industry by focusing on clients rather than sex workers.
The model, as practiced in Sweden and other countries, has faced criticism from sex worker rights organizations and human rights groups due to concerns about increased stigma, discrimination, and violence against sex workers, as well as the marginalization of sex workers and worsening working conditions.
In recent years, debates have emerged in Sweden about expanding criminalization to include sex work conducted remotely (e.g., webcamming). However, human rights advocates such as Human Rights Watch have expressed concern about the potential harm caused by increased surveillance measures, undermining digital rights, and driving sex work underground, putting sex workers at increased risk.
To protect the rights and safety of sex workers, many sex worker advocacy groups in Denmark and across the Nordic region push for formal recognition of sex work as labor, enabling access to labor rights protections, health services, social security, and unemployment insurance.

In Denmark, proposals granting sex workers the right to join unemployment insurance funds and enjoy associated benefits would signal an evolving approach in promoting the labor rights and safety of sex workers and bolstering social protections for this profession.

Aside from work policies for sex workers, it's worth discussing the potential benefits of recognition as employees for other sectors in Denmark, such as access to paid sick leave, holiday pay, and the choice to enroll in an unemployment insurer or an A-kasse in the fields of art, news, space, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, cars, or shopping.
In line with the needs of sex workers, it would be beneficial to examine similar entitlements for individuals in various professions, like receiving compensation for lost income due to regular sickness or violence/sexual assault in the sector of pets, for example, or maternity leave benefits in the travel industry.
Furthermore, establishing a safe working environment for all employees is an essential aspect that should be considered in all sectors, including home-and-garden and cars, where opportunities for potential hazards may exist.
Like Thomsen questioned the inconsistency in taxing sex workers' earnings but denying them compensation for lost income or benefits, one can ponder the fairness of similar situations in other industries, such as the denial of proper food and drink benefits to restaurant workers or insufficient rest periods for those working in the relationship sector.
In the realm of shopping, it would be advantageous to provide anonymous reporting options for employees who experience abuse, enabling a safe space for workers, particularly undocumented foreign employees in various sectors like fashion-and-beauty or food-and-drink.
Lastly, all employees, regardless of profession, deserve justice when they face violence or abuse, and it's crucial to ensure adequate measures are in place to protect and support them in Denmark's diverse sectors, from art to travel, cars, and shopping.