Updated on
03/12/2024
Public Holidays
What is a public holiday? — A public holiday is a day when most people are excused from work, because it is a day of national importance. These dates are usually set by the government and relate to cultural, historical, or religious events. On public holidays, government offices, schools, and most businesses tend to be closed for the day.
Which public holidays are there in Luxembourg?
- New Year’s Day
- Easter Monday
- Labour Day
- Ascension Day
- Europe Day
- Whit Monday
- National Day
- Assumption
- All Saints Day
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
For more information including the specific dates for each year, visit our website https://salary.lu/en/public-holidays/2024.
Are employees paid on public holidays? — Normally, employees receive their regular pay on public holidays. In some cases, if employees are required to work on a public holiday, they will usually receive extra pay or overtime rates.
Can my employer require me to work on a public holiday? — Depending on the laws of the country and on the nature of the job, employers may require employees to work on public holidays, especially when it comes to essential services (such as health care, law enforcement, food industry, grocery stores, etc.). In Luxembourg, if employees are required to work on a public holiday, they usually have 2 options: extra pay or compensatory time off. This is specified in the employment contract and can generally not be decided anew every single time.
Do public holidays affect annual leave? — In general, public holidays do not count as part of annual leave. If a public holiday falls on an employee’s annual leave, the day will usually be treated as a public holiday, not as a day of leave. However, in Luxembourg, if the public holiday falls on an employee’s sick leave or maternity leave, the holiday is lost and will not be compensated with an extra day off.
What happens if a public holiday falls on a weekend? — In Luxembourg, if a public holiday falls on a non-working day, no matter if an employee is required to work on said day or not, they are entitled to an extra day off.
Do different regions within a country have different public holidays? — Yes, some countries have regional public holidays that are only observed in certain areas. However, in Luxembourg all public holidays are national and there are no regional public holidays within the country.
Synonyms : National holiday, bank holiday, federal holiday, statutory holiday, legal holiday