European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure LU-2020-43/1387 Updated – measures in Luxembourg

Agreement on a teleworking regime

Convention du 20 octobre 2020 relative au régime juridique du télétravail

Country Luxembourg , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 20 October 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Bipartite collective agreements
Category Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
– Teleworking arrangements, remote working
Author Patrick Thill (LISER) and Eurofound
Measure added 02 November 2020 (updated 19 June 2023)

Background information

During the COVID-19 crisis, teleworking was identified as essential for keeping companies in business and preventing social difficulties. Discussions between the two representative social partners, OGBL and LCGB, the employers' association UEL, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment led to a joint evaluation of telework at the level of the Economic and Social Council CES. From there, discussions continued between the social partners. An inter professional agreement was signed between the social partners in October 2020.

Content of measure

The agreement is applicable for three years and will cover all sectors of the Luxembourg economy, excluding transportation. The agreement mandates that teleworking must be:

  • a form of organisational work, conducted by digital means and usually done at the company, but that is transferred to the location where the employee lives.
  • applied to occasional and exceptional circumstances, remaining below the 10% threshold of the annual working time.
  • based on a written agreement between the employer and the employee, containing several compulsory elements, such as the location of teleworking and the number of hours of work conducted virtually. An employee can't be dismissed if he/she does not accept a teleworking scheme and an employer can't be made accountable if the employer refuses a teleworking scheme.
  • supported by the employer by providing the necessary technical equipment to efficiently work under a teleworking scheme.
  • regularly reported to the company staff delegation.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

03 May 2023

On 3 May 2023, the Chamber of Deputies approved of the amendment that increased the number of days allowed for teleworking and business travel for French cross-border workers. The threshold was also raised from 24 to 34 days for Belgian cross-border commuters on 1 January 2022. There were no changes for German workers, which remained at 19 days.

15 February 2021

The Chamber of Employees believes that the shifting of costs (computer, electricity, etc.) to teleworking employees should be compensated by the companies. The cost is estimated at €174 month.

Use of measure

All employees in the private sector (with the exception of transport sector) and covered by the Code of Work are concerned.

Contents

  • Basic working time
  • Health and safety
  • Income protection
  • Other topics
  • Working time flexibility

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Applies to all workers Applies to all businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Trade unions
Employers' organisations
Company / Companies
Companies

Social partners

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

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form Not applicable Not applicable

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

  • Social partners jointly
  • Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The agreement is a social partner initiative within the Economic and Social Committee. The two representative trade unions, OGBL and LCGB, and the employer association, UEL, signed the agreement.

Views and reactions

The agreement is based on a social partner initiative and they were highly supportive of a joint agreement.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Agreement on a teleworking regime, measure LU-2020-43/1387 (measures in Luxembourg), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/LU-2020-43_1387.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.