Background information

Parental leave legislation has been regarded in Luxembourg as a fundamental policy to address certain employment challenges. During the current COVID-19 crisis and based on the current March 2020 COVID-19 grand-ducal legislation with the objective to keep essential services functioning, the government decided in March 2020 to change the currently applied parental leave legislation, which gives parents the opportunity to interrupt the leave during the COVID-19 period for professional reasons.

Content of measure

Due to the current situation related to the COVID-19, parents are exceptionally allowed to interrupt the current parental leave schemes for the following reasons:

• if it is a professional obligation;
• if there is a necessity to resume professional activity.

The interruption is regarded by the government to be motivated by an external cause, so that allowances already received are not to be reimbursed by the concerned parents.

At the end of the interruption, subject to the agreement of the employer if you are an employee, take the portion of the parental leave remaining at the time of the interruption.

To request the interruption of parental leave, a form has to be completed and send to the Children's Future Fund (Caisse pour l'Avenir des Enfants - CAE).

Use of measure

No information are disclosed on how many parents benefit by the temporary framework.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Parents in employment	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

N/A

Views and reactions

Social partners are not reported to be directly involved. However, as it is usually the case, they are involved through their respective professional chambers when assessing a draft legislation during the legislative procedure.

Sources

• 23 March 2020: Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants (cae.public.lu)