Last updated on January 26, 2024.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Luxembourg

Vacation Quota (Annual Leave)

26 days

All full-time employees receive at least 26 days of paid vacation per year.

Certain categories of employees are entitled to more vacation days: workers with disabilities or those who have experienced a work-related injury, workers in the mining sector, and some other specific categories of employment.

Accrual Rate

An employee becomes eligible for partial vacation entitlement after three continued months of employment. During their first year of service, employees receive the 12th part of their full vacation entitlement. This means that each month, they earn 2.17 vacation days (26 days divided by 12).

Part-Time Employees

Part-time workers are also entitled to an allotment of annual leave. The number of vacation days that they receive is prorated according to the number of days or hours of their work each week.

Taking a Vacation

Employees have the option to use their entire vacation entitlement in a single period. However, vacation may be split into smaller intervals if an employee’s desires or demands of the job dictate so. In this case, at least one of these intervals must be 2 consecutive weeks.

Carry Over

Employees are permitted to delay their vacation until December 31 of the year after. This applies particularly if it consists of vacation days accrued during the 1st year of employment that couldn’t be fully taken.

Payment of Unused Vacation Upon Termination

Upon the termination of an employee’s contract, an employer is obligated to compensate the employee for any vacation days that they were entitled to but were not taken. The calculation of this payment is the same as during the first year of a job; for each month of work, an employee has earned 2.17 days of annual leave.

Sick Leave in Luxembourg

Unlimited number of days

Employees in Luxembourg are generally permitted an unlimited number of days of paid sick leave. The only difference is that an employer pays sick leave up to 77 days of illness (and the end of that month when the 77th day falls) and the government after that month.

The employee is required to notify the employer of their absence on the initial day of their sick leave. Furthermore, if the absence is more than 2 days, an employee must submit a medical certificate on the third day. Adhering to these rules ensures that the employee is protected from termination, including for any misconduct that happened before the beginning of the illness. Also, an employee can’t be summoned for a preliminary inquiry regarding dismissal for a duration of 26 weeks starting from the 1st day of the absence of sick leave.

Payout

The employer is in charge of compensating an employee during 77 days of sick leave, and then Luxembourg’s healthcare system takes over this payment.

During sick leave, an employee receives their full salary, though this amount is capped at five times the minimum social salary. This payment from the employer is generally provided up to the conclusion of the month during which the 77th day of sick leave falls. From the next month on, the employee begins to receive financial benefits from the Caisse Nationale de Santé (CNS), which is the National Health Fund of Luxembourg. During this phase, the employer is no longer required to pay the employee.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Luxembourg

20 weeks

Female pregnant employees in Luxembourg are entitled to 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. Maternity leave may start 8 weeks prior to the anticipated date of delivery, followed by 12 weeks of postnatal leave.

In order to have access to maternity leave and benefits, an employee must be covered by the obligatory health insurance for six months or more during the 12 months before the beginning of the leave.

Payout

A maternity allowance is paid by the public healthcare system. The payment is equal to 100% of the highest salary that an employee had in the 3 months prior to the start of leave.

Paternity Leave in Luxembourg

10 days

An employee who is the father of a newborn child in Luxembourg is typically entitled to up to 10 days of fully paid paternity leave. An employment contract or collective bargaining agreement will specify the exact number of days, which may slightly vary.

This leave must be taken at least 2 months following the child’s birth. It is not required that the whole leave be taken in a single period, but rather it may be used in parts.

In order to have eligible leave, the father is required to give his employer a notification at least 2 months prior to taking paternity leave.

Payout

During paternity leave, an employee is entitled to receive their full salary. The National Health Fund is responsible for paying for the first two days of leave, while the employer is responsible for the following eight days.

Special Leave in Luxembourg

Required by law.

Special leave is available for employees who need to be away from work for personal reasons. Except for two cases (birth and adoption), this leave should be taken at the time of the event’s happening and can’t be added to the employee’s regular vacation time.

The length of the special leave varies and is dependent on the specific reason for taking it, such as a birth, marriage, death, etc.

Special leave is independent of vacation entitlement and doesn’t reduce vacation days.

Bereavement Leave in Luxembourg

Bereavement leave in Luxembourg is permitted and falls under the category of special leave (as explained in the section above) for personal reasons.

Jury Duty Leave in Luxembourg

There is no legal definition of jury duty leave.

Military Leave in Luxembourg

There is no law defining military leave.

Voting Leave in Luxembourg

There is no law defining voting leave.

Public Holidays in Luxembourg in 2024

11 days of public holidays

In Luxembourg, there are a total of 10 official public holidays, lasting 11 days because Christmas is celebrated for 2 days. If any of these public holidays fall during the weekend, employees are entitled to a compensatory day off. This additional day off must be provided at the latest 3 months following the holiday.

A complete list of official holidays celebrated in Luxembourg:

(*) Europe Day and Ascension Day fall on the same date in 2024, which is coincidence and happens rearly; Europe Day is always on May 9, and Ascension Day is always 40th day after Easter Sunday, and as Easter varies each year, so does Ascension Day.

Sources

1. Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/luxembourg

2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Luxembourg, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/luxembourg

3. Definitive Guide to Hiring in Luxembourg, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/Luxembourg

4. Luxembourg public holidays, https://www.expatica.com/lu/lifestyle/holidays/luxembourg-public-holidays-103742/

5. Public holidays in Luxembourg in 2024, https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/living/quality-of-life/jours-feries-legaux.html

6. Luxembourg national holidays: bank holidays and traditions, https://luxtoday.lu/en/knowledge/luxembourg-national-holidays-bank

Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.