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23 Nov 2022 – Article – min. reading time

Working a career job 16 hours a week 

What is it like to be young, permanently disabled and working 16 hours a week at Danske Bank? 

“I realise now this was not what I should have done!” says Jannik.
  
In the end, what started out as an inconvenience turned into permanent nerve damage and chronic and debilitating pain, which periodically stopped him from working at all.  
After several years of going back and forth between sick leave, surgical procedures and being back in the office, Jannik was forced to accept that he would never be able to return to work full time. 

Me and my manager agreed it would be a good idea to apply for a ‘fleksjob’ – a flexible, government-subsided job with reduced hours. I now work at Danske Bank 16 hours a week in my old job as an International Relationship Manager, where I'm in daily contact with international customers and colleagues across the bank. 

Jannik, International relationship manager

 

Jannik and his manager agreed it would be a good idea to apply for a ‘fleksjob’ – a flexible, government-subsided job with reduced hours. Jannik now works at Danske Bank 16 hours a week in his old job as an International Relationship Manager, where he is in daily contact with international customers and colleagues across the bank.  

A solution where I still contribute and impact

I will never be able to work full-time again, but we found a solution where I still contribute and impact.  

“My initial fear was, that I would have to accept a less interesting role without any responsibility, because my working hours are limited. I wasn’t interested in that. I really wanted to work with international customers, that’s where my heart is!” he says.  

Yet, Jannik’s job as International Relationship Manager is demanding and includes a lot of writing.  How could he make it work with only 16 hours available each week?

It’s a great solution. Together, we get through the workload of a full-time job, as she is able to take care of those aspects of the job where my physical health limits me.

Jannik’s manager came up with a brilliant idea: Since the bank would get a part of Jannik’s wages refunded by the government, this money could be used to hire a student helper as Jannik’s assistant. And that’s what they did. She now supports him with everything that needs to be written down and all Excel tasks.  

“It’s a great solution. Together, we get through the workload of a full-time job, as she is able to take care of those aspects of the job where my physical health limits me,” Jannik says.  

16 hours a week is no walk in the park 

You might think that working 16 hours a week gives Jannik plenty of opportunity to enjoy the good life. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Managing his pain takes a lot of time and energy.  

“I’m always in pain, the question is just how much. If I work from nine to one, I need to do nothing for at least two hours to allow my arms to relax again. I can’t just ignore my limitations and keep going.” 


Looking ahead 

“I really enjoy my job here, and I am also very grateful to the bank for being so supportive. Up to now, I have spent my energy on getting a stable work life up and running again. 

I’m not sure what the future holds and I’m thriving where I am. Nevertheless, I still have the ambitions I had before I became ill – and I hope I can find a way to achieve them.” 

Blue book

At Danske Bank:  
International Relationship Manager, 2016 onwards 

Outside Danske Bank:  

  • Business adviser, 2014-2016 
  • Bank Trainee, 2011-2014 

Education:  
Graduate diploma in Business Administration (HD IB), International Business, 2019

Flexibility as a part of everyday life

We offer the flexibility to plan your days in ways that makes sense for your professional – and personal life.  Learn more about what flexibility means in practice at Danske Bank. 
Learn more