Language training leave

Employees, self-employed people and professionals can request language training leave, which is a special paid leave of up to 200 hours over the recipient's professional career, to learn or perfect their Luxemburgish and facilitate their integration into society.

01 Purpose

In order to obtain language training leave, employees of all nationalities must:

• Be habitually employed at a workplace located in Luxembourg,
• Have had an employment contract for at least 6 months with the same employer that is legally based in Luxembourg,
  

Self-employed people and professionals must have been affiliated with Luxembourg social security for at least 6 months.

This leave is also available to foreign employees who would like to obtain Luxemburgish nationality, for the purpose of obtaining the linguistic qualifications required by nationality legislation.

02 Examples

Mercedes, a self-employed Doctor, would like to attend Luxemburgish classes.

Mercedes, 45, has worked in a medical centre as a self-employed Doctor for 6 months. Of Spanish nationality, she plans to register on an intensive course with a State-managed institution in order to improve her command of the Luxemburgish language.

A colleague informs her of the existence of language training leave that entitles her to up to 200 hours of special paid leave. Mercedes is delighted by this news as she thought that she had to have employee status to obtain this leave, and she hastens to completes her request using the online form.

Donald lives in Luxembourg and would like to obtain Luxemburgish nationality

Donald, 39 and American, has worked for 10 years with an American company based in Luxembourg. As he also lives in Luxembourg, he would like to obtain Luxembourg nationality.

In order to do so he must, amongst other things, sit an oral examination in the Luxemburgish language. However, since moving to Luxembourg, he has never learnt to speak Luxemburgish but, he is aware that he can claim language training leave.

His boss supports the process and accepts his request. After passing his exam, he will claim reimbursement of his registration fees for the oral examination in the Luxemburgish language from the Ministry of Justice (Ministère de la Justice).

03 Eligible training

Eligible training in the Luxemburgish language can be delivered in Luxembourg or abroad, by:

• Institutions with public or private school status recognised by the public authorities, and issuing certificates recognised by these same authorities,
• Professional chambers,
• Municipalities,
• Foundations, individuals and private associations individually approved for such purpose by the ministry responsible for vocational training,
• Ministries, civil services and public establishments.

It must be held within normal working hours.

Training financed by other legal provisions is not eligible.

04 Process

Requests for obtaining language training leave should be sent to the Ministry of Work, Employment and Social and Solidarity Economy (Ministère du Travail et de l’Emploi - MTE) and, for employees, they must be approved or declined by the employer. The ministry must receive requests prior to the start of the course.

Length

Each recipient has a maximum of 200 hours of language training leave throughout his/her professional career, which must be divided into two instalments of 80 to 120 hours each.

Leave can be split. The minimum length is half an hour per day.

The second part of the leave may only be taken after having successfully completed a training course during the first part, as demonstrated by a diploma or other certificate showing successful completion or attendance.

For part-time employees, leave hours are calculated in proportion to the working time.

The legal provisions relating to social security and employment protection remain applicable for the duration of the language training leave.

Process

The same process is to be carried out for each instalment.

The employee must:

• Download and fill in the request form,
• Obtain his/her employer's decision regarding his/her request, 
• Send the duly completed form and the requested documents to the Ministry of Work, Employment and Social and Solidarity Economy (Ministère du Travail et de l’Emploi - MTE) (employment contract, registration certificate, social security certificate, timetable and length of classes etc.). 

The employee is informed by letter of the number of hours of leave granted. Following the training course he/she must submit attendance certificates to the employer.

The employer must:

• Give an opinion on the request submitted by the employee,
• Download and complete the reimbursement form and attach the requested documents (attendance certificate(s) showing the attendance rate, payslip(s) for the period in question showing the actual leave taken, manager's statement showing the exact date(s) of the leave day(s) actually taken, serial number of the ministerial agreement etc.)

• Send the duly completed form and the requested documents to the Ministry of Work, Employment and Social and Solidarity Economy (Ministère du Travail et de l’Emploi - MTE).

The process for self-employed people and professionals, is similar to the one described above. Only the form and the requested documents are different.

Employer's opinion

The leave may be:

• Accepted by the employer,

• Deferred by the employer if the absence may have a considerably harmful effect on company operations or the smooth running of annual paid leave of staff,

05 Compensatory allowance

For employees, each leave hour entitles the recipient to a compensatory allowance equal to his/her average hourly salary, which is paid by the employer. The employer advances the allowance and is reimbursed by the State for the amount of the allowance and for the employer's social security contributions.

Forself-employed people and professionals, the compensatory allowance paid by the State is based on the hourly income used during the last contributions year as the basis of contributions to the pension insurance scheme.

The compensatory allowance cannot exceed four times the minimum wage for unqualified workers (€49.526/grade 834,76 on 1 January 2020).