News - The latest news relevant for members

It is wonderful to have a job that does more than pay the bills. But remember to consider whether your working life will necessarily improve just because you employer has a CSR policy or is involved with sustainability. Career counsellor Morten Esmann describes the things you should consider if you dream of a more sustainable position

It is important that both members and employees feel safe in IDA – also when they report or complain about problematic conditions. A new Sanctions Committee will ensure the transparent handling of complaints, and can impose temporary sanctions on members.

More than a million Danish employees are returning to the office. Coming back will be at least as difficult as it was to be sent home. However, there are a lot of things you can do to take better care of yourself and others at work.

On 21 May, many Danish workplaces began to gradually allow employees to return. Now is the time to decide what to make of the experiences we gained while working from home, a researcher in working culture writes.

It costs less money, is more comfortable and the travel time is the same as if you were driving around in a petrol or diesel car. A new study from IDA and FDEL (United Danish electric vehicle drivers) debunks the myth that it is difficult and expensive to drive an electric vehicle

The vote on the OK21 collective agreement settlements has ended. 94 pct. of the votes cast among IDA's members have landed on a yes to the agreements.

This year's CPH:DOX documentary film festival features an interesting science film programme. Members and future members of IDA get free admission to five screenings.

If we are to eliminate unequal pay, openness about salary is one of our best tools. But only 21 per cent of IDA-members discuss their salary with their colleagues.

For many, talking about their salary is a taboo. But does it have to be? Four engineers, IT professionals or natural science graduates share their pay slip and talk about something they only rarely talk to their colleagues about.

Every sixth researcher in the technical and scientific field does not believe that there is a general freedom to comment on research, and several researchers have been exposed to political pressure

Corona fatigue has taken hold among IDA-members, and while some are struggling with loneliness, others have discovered new dreams. We asked 5 Danes from IDA what the past months have done to their working life.

The younger you are, the more likely are you to thrive less, struggle with your work-life balance and feel less efficient when working from home during the corona pandemic. That is the conclusion of a new analysis from IDA.

When factors such as seniority, industry, educational background and working hours are disregarded, there is an average wage difference of 3.7 per cent. between privately employed female and male members of IDA.

They arrange more than 2,000 events each year, represent their co-workers in difficult conversations with the management, and go for walks with their stressed colleagues. Meet some of IDA's dedicated volunteers.

The corona crisis is changing our flying habits. Almost every third Dane intends to fly less when the pandemic is a thing of the past, a new population survey shows

The last negotiations in the collective bargaining process for the academics in the Danish municipalities have fallen into place. 

All private-sector employees who are members of IDA are invited to two exciting online sessions with IDA via MS Teams. 

The collective bargaining negotiations for the academics in the Danish regions are now completely settled. Learn more here.

IDA misses a concrete plan for introducing the new technologies in the municipalities. It can end up being a stumbling block if the municipalities do not have the right guidelines

One in five female IDA-members have experienced sexual harassment at their workplace in the past year – most often in the form of unwanted touching or inappropriate comments.

A senior bonus and general salary increases of 4.42 per cent are among the results of the negotiations of the collective agreements for state employees.

In December we saw an unexpectedly high number of new job postings for IDA’s members, and with that 2020 ended better than expected. One area in particular stands out, IDA’s chief economist says.

Arrange a weekly meeting with your colleagues to discuss other things than work. Or try the 20:8:2 method. These are our tips for getting through a long corona winter.

SU for international students is a good investment. IDA urges Danish politicians to attract rather than exclude international talent.

Salaries increased by an average of 3.0 pct. in the past year for members working in the private sector, while members working in the public sector collectively received a salary increase of 4.0 pct. In the same period, the inflation level has been at 0.6 pct.

We have solid evidence that knowledge workers do not perform their best within the current framework. We need to show our employees that we trust them enough to let them structure their working lives more flexibly.

The ability to structure one’s own work and working hours, as well as an increased opportunity of working from home: These are high on our members’ wish list for their future working lives.

For IDA-members, sexism often has to do with a lack of professional recognition at the workplace, says equality researcher Sara Louise Muhr. To change the culture, we need to recognise that we all have prejudices, and that even in Denmark, we are perhaps not as equal as we like to think.

There are no middle managers, and employees are free to choose which tasks to solve. In the consulting firm Pingala, employees take responsibility for themselves and each other.

The corona crisis has shown that we can create a more flexible working life to the benefit of employees, businesses, and society.

Working from home leads to higher levels of productivity, fewer sick days, and less transport time, but it should not be enforced upon all employees.

This year, IDA Private's annual conference takes place as three corona-safe webinars about the generation gap, future technologies and being very busy doing nothing, respectively. The goal is to prepare you for navigating an increasingly complex working life.

Everyone should feel welcome at their workplace. That is why the current debate on sexual harassment is a much-needed opportunity to talk about the extent and nature of the problem, says the Chairman of IDA’s Council of Employees as he prepares to discuss the issue at Christiansborg.

IDA recommends shifting car taxes from purchase to driving and that the Danish government moves forward with the proposal of the Commission for a Transition to Green Passenger Cars, leading to 1 million zero emission cars by 2030.

The electric car is not yet an attractive choice when we buy a new vehicle, according to a study from the Danish Society of Engineers, IDA. Key barriers such as price, battery capacity and lack of recharging points stand in the way.

Every year, Agnes and Betzy awards DKK 25,000 to an IDA member. The award dates from 1997, in honour and on the 100th anniversary of the first two female engineers, Agnes Nielsen and Betzy Meyer.

Mozhgan Gerayeli got rejected from jobs because of her name. Today, she helps high educated foreigners and Danes finding a job in their fields.

There is an inexplicable wage gap of 4.4% between male and female IDA members. Rikke Stæhr Jensen practices trying to explain her worth, but she feels that salary negotiations come more naturally to men.

Nana Bule, CEO of Microsoft, has never had to break through a glass ceiling. She therefore must remind herself that women in leadership are still facing barriers.

Juliana Glahn is one of the only women on the mechanical engineering programme. The Danish education system is highly gender-segregated, and this affects equality throughout the labour market.

Mikkel Schildknecht Hoé, mechanical engineer, reacted promptly when his girlfriend, who is a nurse, needed goggles. Only three weeks later, the production was running, something that normally takes six months.

IDA's legal advisors give good recommendations on what to keep in mind if your employer wishes to cut your working hours and salary.

With the prospect of a gradual reopening of the country, IDA is now contributing to the debate on initiatives that can help mitigate the impact on business and employment due to the corona crisis. This contribution consists of 12 proposals, all with a green agenda.

Many people are currently experiencing a loss of control that gives them a sense of insecurity. However, the crisis also provides us with time to reflect on our values and choices.

The internet is full of guides on how to work from home. We’ve collected the best and funniest for you right here.

We’ll guide you to information and articles with good and reliable information, so that you can find out more about the coronavirus.

The risk of more cases of coronavirus is high, and this also has an impact on Danish workplaces. IDA closely follows the recommendations of the Danish Health Authority.

IDA cancels all physical events and courses until 13 April. If you have paid a participation fee, you will be refunded within 10-14 days.

In the last 12 months, more than 6 out of 10 IDA members employed in the private sector have been approached by a recruiter or other company.

In the past year, almost one in five private employees have changed jobs. And for more than 70 per cent, switching jobs led to a salary raise. This is what a new study from IDA reveals.

Power from wind turbines and solar cells can be used to produce sustainable fuels, and Denmark has now the opportunity to become a global leader.

We will achieve this vision of a climate-neutral society if we develop our renewable energy production while stopping the use of fossil energy sources. In this process, key actors claim that Power-to-X is part of the solution.

There is a large gap between the average first salary of newly graduated female and male BSc and MSc engineers. This is the result of IDA's salary statistics.

The Siri-Committee was set up in the summer of 2016 by Ida Auken, MP and member of the center-left Social Liberal party (Radikale Venstre) and Thomas Damkjær Petersen, President of The Danish Society of Engineers (IDA).

Social media is evolving rapidly as the common space for a lot of communication and many people are now feeling compelled to do the same thing if they want to catch up.

Expats have a hard time settling in Denmark, and this survey reveals Denmark ranked as the 48th best country to be an expat in.

Sustainable transport is necessary, and a CO2 neutral Denmark in 2040 is the goal. For that reason, IDA is part of the climate alliance 'Broen til fremtiden' (The bridge to the future).

IDA's analysis department has compared the statistics from IDA and DI (Danish Industry). In conclusion, the salary levels for engineers are virtually identical in the statistics from DI and IDA.

Cyberattacks against businesses and public authorities are becoming ever more frequent and advanced. Last September, a hearing aid producer, Demant, was hit by an attack estimated to cost the company over half a billion DKK.

If you think that your salary is a confidential agreement between you and your employer, then think again, that is a myth. Nevertheless, new figures from IDA show that less than one-third of Danes discuss salary with their colleagues.

Denmark participates for the first time in European Cyber Security Month (ECSM), which aims to raise awareness of cyber security threats and improve digital security for citizens, businesses and authorities in Denmark.

The government will allocate DKK 1 billion for environmental research programs in its budget proposal. Thats a good start after several years of budget cuts in the field.

Techfestival is a yearly festival created to find human answers to the questions that tech progress gives rise to. Aspiring to be the leading voice of technology, IDA has been a partner for the last two years, in order to support and participate in the important conversations about technology, society and ethics.

The worst of a talent shortage on engineers, scientists and IT specialists could be prevented if employers were better to retain retirees. Recent figures from IDA indicate that one in ten unwillingly retired and want to work.

More than one in four students face difficulties getting a roof over their head

A general decline in admission to engineering school will not contribute to Denmark’s goal of solving engineering shortcomings or securing a green transition

Nearly half of the Danes still change job through classic recruitment channels.

Is it harder for a woman to gain respect from employees in an IT company? And are too many women leaving their careers mainly for family reasons? Four women, who are either leaders or aim to get there, share their experiences.

Voters have now decided, and IDA congratulates all members of Parliament for their election or re-election. The new Danish parliament will, regardless of color and balance of power, decide on the six political objectives that IDA highlighted during the election campaign.

In 2018, average pay rises for IDA’s members in the private sector were 3.9%. Looking more closely at the figures, members within the building and construction sector saw the largest pay increases, at 4.8% on average.

In 2018, average pay rises for IDA’s members in the private sector were 3.9%. Looking more closely at the figures, members within the building and construction sector saw the largest pay increases, at 4.8% on average.

We overestimate our own intelligence and role in the universe, says philosopher and debater Nikola Danaylov. He claims that viruses and bacteria on certain parameters are smarter than humans.

One of the things that makes IDA a truly unique organization are the regional and professional networks that bend every year to make IDA better for all members. IDA's network hosts over 2700 events each year, which you can sign up for.

We feel confident with the encryption we use today and we know that it works. But what will happen to our encryption algorithms when someone succeeds in building a powerful quantum computer? New white paper highlights "state of the art on solving the challenges quantum computers provide for encryption".

Do you sometimes ask yourself why a CV is so important? You may think your boss can work out what you can do and how you add value to the company based on your work history. In practice, this is not the case. Your CV is one of the most important elements of your career, whether you are seeking a job or not.

As a general rule, a photo on your CV will be seen as positive – if the quality is good and it suits the workplace you’re applying to. But if you have personal reasons for omitting a photo, you won't necessarily end up at the back of the queue. Read these photo tips from IDA’s advisers.

A salary negotiation is all about preparation. You need to know your strengths and good results inside out, and you must have the ability, will and desire to talk about them. IDA’s career adviser Kenneth Carstensen suggests thinking of the meeting as a party, where you are the centre of attention.

Project will provide guidance to international engineering institutions to encourage them to write energy strategies for their own nations in order to tackle climate change

You might only have a vague idea of what a personal development review is all about, and you may feel slightly apprehensive about it. IDA has a number of tips to help you get the most out of this meeting with your manager.

IDA has specific guidelines for when new members need to join IDA in order to qualify for financial support in the event of industrial action. IDA does not expect industrial action. However, since we have entered into difficult negotiations, it is very important to inform new members of the date on which they must enrol with IDA in order to qualify for financial support.

Whether you are in the process of negotiating salary for a new job, or you are about to negotiate salary in your current job, it is a good idea to use IDA’s salary statistics, the IDA Salary Calculator and company statistics as a guide.

As a new graduate, negotiating salary can be scary. But it is vital to your entire career that you set the bar at the right height from the beginning. Here are some good tips from IDA’s legal experts.

When you leave the room after your annual salary negotiation, the next one is already in progress. Read more about how to prepare yourself all year round for this important meeting and set yourself up for a pay rise. 

When you are invited to a job interview, the company is interested in you in particular as a possible candidate for the job. That is why it is important that you are well prepared so that you can convince the company’s employees that you should be their new colleague.

More than six in ten project managers have been headhunted or attempts were made to headhunt them. This is what a new survey of the members of IDA’s project manager panel shows.

Your CV must be targeted and have impact. Companies only use a few minutes to sort job applications. That is why it is important to have a thoroughly reviewed CV. The CV assistant helps with this by providing advice from our experienced career counsellors.

The Association of Chartered Engineers in Iceland (Verkfræðingafélag Íslands, VFÍ) becomes the member of the Association of Nordic Engineers on 1 January 2018. The request of the membership was approved at the ANE Board, 29 November

The number of employees who are offered continuing training, flexible working hours and flexible locations is increasing. This is a tendency that we will see more of in the future, predicts IDA, on the basis of the figures for the members who work with IT, as well as engineers and natural science graduates.

Digital labour platforms add flexibility to the labour market, but also present potential challenges. And if the traditional players make good models for platform economy, new opportunistic upstarts will undoubtedly come into play.

An episode for expats living and working in Denmark about Danish culture, business culture and global mindsets.

It is wrong to believe that introverted people cannot become skilled and strategic networkers, says networking expert Susie Lynge from the training and consultancy firm the Networking Academy

LinkedIn is an important tool in your job search, when building a network or creating awareness with regards to potential clients or business partners. Learn 10 ways to improve your LinkedIn profile.

Professor Lene Tanggaard from Aalborg University experience how colleagues from abroad are willing to move in order to get an exciting and challenging job. Danes can learn a lot from this attitude towards mobility.