New catalogue of measures to improve parental leave conditions for artists

For artists with freelance jobs, short-term contracts and compound incomes, pregnancy and parental leave can be associated with both financial uncertainty and the risk of losing their career footing. Therefore, the Danish Musicians' Union is working both politically and together with the rest of the industry to create better maternity and paternity leave conditions for artists and multi-occupational workers before, during and after leave.

By Julie Westh Nielsen and Dorthe Vincentzen

Since 2025, the union has been part of a broad parental leave alliance that is working to change the rules on maternity and paternity benefits so that they better accommodate people with complex working lives.

Now the Danish Artist's Union, along with 26 other organisations, is also helping to launch a new catalogue of measures with 29 concrete initiatives regarding what the cultural sector itself can do to strengthen conditions before, during and after maternity/paternity leave.

In addition to its political work, the Danish Musicians' Union advises members individually on their rights and options before and during maternity/paternity leave.

Inspiration catalogue with recommendations for the industry

The recommendations range from very practical considerations – such as scheduling exams and meetings while day nurseries are open, and creating better physical environments for pregnant women and parents of young children – to more structural changes in contracts, employment types, collective agreements and opportunities to maintain a connection to the industry during and after parental leave.

The alliance behind the inspiration catalogue counts 27 organisations from both the cultural life and the creative industries.

Artists' chairperson Sara Indrio is very pleased that major players from both live music and the record labels are also backing the recommendations.

The launch of the inspiration catalogue coincides with maternity and paternity leave provisions for artists and others with complex working lives moving higher up the political agenda.

In the new government platform, it appears, among other things, that the government will look at models for parental leave for workers with mixed income, the so-called combinators.

The inspiration catalogue has been created in a collaboration between EQUALIS and 27 organisations from both the cultural sector and the creative industries. The 27 organisations are part of the cultural sector’s parental leave alliance, which now has 33 member organisations.