Workshop 1: Working Clauses as the Foundation for Responsible Construction

This event is part of a series of workshops on socially responsible business practice in Denmark’s sustainable construction transition.

Working clauses are the essential contractual instruments that translate responsible business commitments into enforceable standards. Yet across the Danish construction sector, approaches vary widely, from comprehensive municipal frameworks with dedicated control units to new industry-led standardisation efforts. This workshop brings together the leading practitioners to share how different types of working clauses function in practice, what makes them effective, and how the sector can align around a common standard.

With the ‘Contractor Stop’ (entreprenørstop) now in force since January 2026, the stakes have never been higher. A single subcontractor’s repeated violations can shut down an entire construction site. Working clauses are no longer just a compliance exercise; they are the first line of defence for responsible businesses and the essential mechanism for protecting workers throughout complex supply chains.

Key questions

• What makes a working clause effective in practice, not just on paper?
• How do different approaches (public procurement clauses, industry-developed standards, and new collaborative tools) compare in enforcement and outcomes?
• What constitutes the minimum social safeguards that should be non-negotiable across the sector?
• How can chain responsibility be made operational in multi-tier subcontracting?
• What lessons can private clients and developers draw from municipal experience?

Featured speakers

Byggeriets Samfundsansvar (FBSA) — Presenting the FBSA paradigm clauses (arbejdsklausul, lærlingeklausul, beskæftigelsesklausul) developed in collaboration with law firms Horten and Bech-Bruun. These clauses offer a comprehensive framework for public and private clients, with chain responsibility provisions and sanction mechanisms.

Odense Kommune — Sharing over a decade of experience with their municipal working clause and dedicated Kontrolenhed (control unit). Odense revised its clause in 2024 to address increasingly sophisticated forms of social dumping, pioneering an integrated approach combining documentation requirements, on-site inspections, direct worker interviews, and economic sanctions.

Fælles Ansvar — Introducing a new cross-sector initiative by AkademikerPension, caps lock partners, Deloitte, and MT Højgaard. Fælles Ansvar offers free, standardised working clauses for direct use in contracts between clients, contractors, and subcontractors, with built-in chain responsibility and due diligence requirements.

Agenda

09:00–09:15 : Arrival & Coffee

09:15–09:30: Welcome & Setting the Scene

Introduction to the workshop series, the working clauses landscape, and why this moment demands collective action.

09:30–09:55: Byggeriets Samfundsansvar: The FBSA Clause Framework

09:55–10:20: Odense Kommune: A Decade of Enforcement Experience

10:20–10:45: Fælles Ansvar: A New Industry Standard

10:45–11:00: Break & Refreshments

11:00–11:30: Moderated Panel: Comparing Approaches

All three speakers in conversation. Strengths, gaps, and the path from fragmentation to alignment.

11:30–12:15: Breakout Workshop: Defining Minimum Social Safeguards

Facilitated group work on non-negotiable standards, implementation barriers, and effective monitoring.

12:15–12:40: Plenary & Closing: Synthesis & Key Takeaways

Emerging consensus, areas of divergence, and priority areas for Workshop 2.

12:40–13:00: Closing and light lunch