Are you an employee in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg? What are your rights and obligations in the event of illness? What do you need to know to benefit from sick leave? Just Arrived gives you the lowdown on sick leave in Luxembourg.
What are the obligations of a sick employee in Luxembourg?
Are you ill and unable to get to work?
Notify your employer from the first day of absence
From the first day of absence, you must notify your employer as soon as possible, by telephone or in writing. If you are unable to do this yourself, a third party can do it for you.
However, in the event of a dispute, you must be able to prove that you informed your employer of your inability to get to work.
Provide a medical certificate from the 3rd day of absence.
If you are ill, you must provide a medical certificate from the 3rd day of absence .
You must send this certificate of sick leave to your employer and the Caisse Nationale de Santé within a maximum of 3 days of absence. In the event of serious hospitalization or an emergency, the employee has 8 days' notice.
You do not need to provide your employer with a medical certificate for absences of less than 2 working days, unless your employer expressly requests it.
Failure to comply with these obligations may result in immediate dismissal.
You must therefore notify your employer from the 1st day of your absence, and submit your work stoppage within 3 days.
If the initial sick leave is extended
In the event of an extension of the initial sick leave, the employee must send a new medical certificate justifying the extension to his employer and to the CNS within 2 working days of the initially scheduled return date.
If the employee falls ill during his or her days off, he or she may subsequently take an equivalent number of days off. This must be done in consultation with the employer and on presentation of a medical certificate.
Sick leave authorizations
In the event of sick leave, the employee may not leave his or her home during the first 5 days of sick leave, even if outings are authorized by the doctor.
After 5 days of incapacity for work, the employee may leave his home or the place of stay indicated to the CNS only from 10am to 12pm in the morning and from 2pm to 6pm in the afternoon.
The following exceptions are permitted:
- on day 1 for feeding needs, after notifying the CNS
- to attend medical appointments or summonses from health authorities in connection with the sick leave.
The CNS is empowered to carry out checks on sick employees, either on its own initiative or at the employer's request. These checks can also be carried out abroad for sick leave taken by cross-border workers.
These checks may be carried out between 8am and 9pm at the home or place of stay indicated by the sick employee . Employees absent during these checks must justify their absence from their place of residence. They may be fined.
In certain cases, you may be authorized to spend time abroad if you are unable to work. These include serious illness or disability, entitlement to palliative care, the death of a loved one abroad, etc.
Sickness benefits paid to employees
Employers are responsible for paying sick pay to employees who are unable to work up to the 77th day of absence. The National Health Fund takes over after 77 days.
Sick employees receivetheir full net salary and benefits until the end of the month in which their 77-day incapacity occurred. After that, they will receive their basic salary, supplements and accessories.
Check with your employer and your collective bargaining agreement to find out if your company has any specific requirements in the event of illness.
Burn-out in Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, 43% of employees claim to experience stress at work. When do we talk about burn-out? What are the symptoms? How do you react to burnout? How can it be treated? What does Luxembourg law say on the subject?
Although burn-out is not yet listed as an "occupational disease ", it is the subject of awareness and information campaigns, as well as training courses. And sufferers can count on the support of numerous specialists and dedicated organizations.
How do you prevent burn-out?
Burn-out is a state of depression linked to the workplace. It is generally the result of a difficult situation at work that persists over time.
Burn-out is a combination of emotional, physical and psychological exhaustion. The symptoms are generally similar to those of depression - although often less pronounced:
- Fatigue and feeling of despondency,
- Irritability, emotionality, anxiety and feelings of insecurity,
- Feelings of failure, incompetence and loss of self-confidence,
- Difficulty concentrating, memory loss, loss of interest in work,
- Muscular pain (backache, migraines...),
- Cynicism about work, dehumanization of relationships with isolation in relationships
- Feelings of incompetence and abandonment, with a high risk of collapse. In the most severe forms, there may be a risk of stroke or heart attack.
So it's urgent to act before it's too late. In the event of symptoms, it is advisable to consult your family doctor or a psychologist.
Luxembourg law on burn-out
Burnout affects almost two out of every ten employees. No less than a third of them are at high risk of burn-out.
However, burn-out is not recognized as an illness in the Grand Duchy, unlike its Belgian and French neighbors.
However, more and more companies and associations are aiming to raise awareness of the problem among the working population. Examples include ASTF, IMS and the RH POG community. Training, information, advice and conferences are provided for employees and human resources alike.
Useful addresses about burn-out in Luxembourg
Stressberodung by the Chamber of Employees
In collaboration with the Ligue luxembourgeoise d'hygiène mentale (LLHM), the Chambre des salariés is offering a free consultation service for employees suffering from stress at work. "Stressberodung" provides psychological help to workers, to help them control their stress.
Consultations, limited to a maximum of 5, take place Monday to Friday, by appointment, on the premises of the Chambre des salariés in Luxembourg-Merl. Individual consultations are conducted in Luxembourgish, French, German or English.
Association for stress prevention and management
The Association Luxembourg et Grande Région de prévention et de gestion du stress (APGS) aims to prevent and manage stress-related pathologies.
People suffering from depression or burn-out have the opportunity to take part in physical and mind-body activities, adapted to the participants and supervised by healthcare professionals specializing in therapeutic education.
Please note! A medical certificate of no contraindication is required to take part in activities.
Burn-out Prevention and Support Center
The Centre de Prévention et d'Accompagnement du Burn-out (CPA Burnout) aims to create a space for listening and exchanging ideas about burn-out.
It offers individual care, workshops and training, as well as programs tailored to corporate needs. The unit is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals.
Cap prevent burn-out
Cap Prevent Burnout is a multidisciplinary support unit. Its aim is to prevent stress in the workplace and take care of people suffering from burnout.
The unit offers consultations, practical workshops and discussion groups. These activities are supervised by a team of complementary professionals: a psychiatrist, a coach, a neuropsychologist...
Wellbeing at work
Wellbeing at Work is a private organization specialized in promoting health and well-being at work. It offers support, action plans, conferences, coaching sessions and awareness campaigns.
Find out more about working in Luxembourg and the healthcare sector.
Silver partner
