Sorry about a late answer, I have been away:
AmateurScientist said:
Thanks for setting me straight and providing some insight into differing laws in Denmark. I will defer to your experience and knowledge.
Sorry about my stance, as we Americans do so often tend to be Americentric. In our defense, at least part of this can be attributed to our relative isolation on a distant continent, our neighbors to the north and south notwithstanding. Many of us have never even been to another country.
No worries, mate 
! Heheh, it often seems that from the POV of Americans (US), there is nothing else in the world. Comes from being such a large and important country, I expect. Denmark is a little over 5 million people, so we have to be acutely aware of there being a surrounding world. 
Question: Do the protections afforded workers by law mean that getting a job in the first place is more difficult? After all, as an employer I am going to want to be especially careful to insure that you are trustworthy before I hire you and become beholden to you.
What about insubordination? Is it used often as grounds for termination? It would seem to be a relatively easy pretext to use.
AS [/B]
I see that other Scandinavians have already answered your questions. Conditions are very similar in Denmark. But I'll give my own answers anyway:
About getting jobs. No, it does not really make a difference because the conditions are the same for all. An employer hires the employees he needs, under the conditions that exist. Its like if one shop in a town doubled its prices, nobody would buy their goods there, but if all the shops did it, well... (of course, they might shop in the next town, but every analogy has its limits
).
Also, there is a probation period, typically three months during which you can dismiss the new employee at shorter notice. In theory, you still need a reason, but in practice, it does not need to be as solid; stating that the new person has not adapted to the job as well as expected will often do.
Valid reasons for termination in Denmark (this is a general overview, rules and practice varies somewhat according to job type etc.):
Downsizing: A valid reason, depending on employee type, the downsizing has to be of varying severity. A construction worker can be laid off if there is no work next week, an accountant if the coming year's budget show a slump.
The particular job function is discontinued. The company must make a serious attempt to relocate the employee. Nevertheless, this is a well-known loophole: If you want rid of a troublesome person, you do a reorganisation that somehow leaves him or her without a function in the company. If all else fails you can outsource the function.
"Cooperation difficulties". This is an oft-used reason, usually with fair reason. It can be chemistry, or the company finds out it has hired the wrong person. You'd better be able to come up with some good and concrete examples, though, if the employee chooses to make a case.
Insubordination. Basically, refusal or failure to follow orders, often in the form that the employee does not do the job properly. An employee has the right to refuse to follow orders that may threaten his "life, health, or honor". This means that you cannot dismiss anybody for refusing to do something dangerous or illegal or something that would otherwise dishonor them (appearing naked comes to mind as an example). A dismissal for insubordination should be well documented. The normal procedure is to issue a warning in writing on the first occasion, followed by a dismissal on normal notice, if the situation does not improve.
Crime against the employer (e.g. theft), other crimes, severe disloyalty (like disclosing confident information), downright refusal to carry out a specific order, failure to show up for work without giving a valid reason. These are not only causes for dismissal, but ofte for dismissal without notice. Many court cases are about immidiate dismissal, where the employee sues the company to get payment corresponding to the notice period.
Dismissal notice is usually from 3 to 6 months, depending on seniority. There is a caveat for the employer here: The seniority includes the notice period. This means that if John Doe has three months notice period, but will gain four months in two months, you cannot give him three months notice now, you must give him the four he will have gained before the three months notice expires. Quite a few employers have run into that one.
During the dismissal period, you must employ the dismissed person in a relevant way (relevant to their education or the job held), or you can choose to set them free. This can happen in two ways:
You can let them stay home and send their payment on a normal scedule during the notice period. If the employee finds a new job within the notice period, you can withhold payment from the date he/she starts in the new job.
Or, you can send them home with an immidiate payment corresponding to their salary in the notice period. If they find a new job, you cannot demand a refund. This is often used for salespersons and other persons in sensitive positions on order to minimize the damage they might do due to vengeance.
Long rant, heheh. There are mucho details, but I guess this will do, otherwise do ask
Hans
