The time-savings account (compte épargne-temps – CET) scheme was introduced to offer greater flexibility in managing working hours, both for businesses and employees (to facilitate ongoing training, a healthy balance between work and home life, and so forth).

On request, employees can save up their overtime hours and leave days, and use them when needed.

Employees cannot be forced to credit their time-savings account against their wishes.

The CET is capped at 1,800 hours.

Who is concerned

Any employees with at least 2 years' seniority in a business covered by a collective agreement or an inter-professional agreement providing for a CET scheme may benefit from the scheme.

Preliminary steps

In CETs, the unit of account is the hour, and CETs are credited with hours by the employees themselves.

Employees must send a written request to their employer if they wish to credit their CET with:

• overtime hours worked over and above the daily and weekly normal working time set by law, or agreed between the parties;
• additional leave days beyond the legal yearly minimum of 26 days, provided those leave days have not been taken during the current year and are an entitlement under an employment contract or a collective agreement;
• up to 5 days of paid leave which the employee has been unable to take during the calendar year, for reasons of illness, maternity leave or parental leave;
• the leave day granted to compensate for working on a Sunday or a public holiday falling on a Sunday;
• additional leave days granted under a working hours plan for a reference period exceeding one month;
• surplus hours worked during the reference period or from the flexiwork agreement.

How to proceed

Filing an application

To use CET hours for leave during their compulsory working time, employees must send:

• a written request to their employer;
• at least one month in advance.

CETs are held in hours.

The employer grants the employee the number of CET hours they request.

The CET can be used however the employee wishes, unless this conflicts with the needs of the business' operations, or the justified wishes of other employees.

Sickness during CET hours

If an employee falls ill while using their CET hours, sick days, as attested by a medical certificate, must be credited back to the CET.

For this purpose, the employee must, if they are:

• in Luxembourg: send the medical certificate to their employer within 3 working days;
• abroad: inform their employer as soon as possible.

Leave for personal reasons while using CET hours

If an employee is obliged to take leave for personal reasons (e.g. wedding, the death of a family member or close friend, a home move, etc.) while using their CET hours:

• the leave for personal reasons is interrupted;
• the days of leave for personal reasons are credited back to the CET.

Remuneration of CET hours

Leave taken using CET hours is counted as effective working time when calculating:

• the employee's annual leave;
• the rights and obligations attaching to the employee's seniority in the business, and especially their rights deriving from a supplementary pension scheme.

While on leave using CET hours, employees are considered to be on paid leave.

CET hours are paid at the employee's basic hourly salary, be it on a full-time or part-time basis.

When an employee is on leave using their CET hours, their employer must:

• keep their job open for them; or
• where that is not possible, provide them with a similar job that is commensurate with their qualifications, and carries a salary at least equivalent to their old job.

Liquidation of the CET

In the event of the dismissal, resignation or death of the employee, or the termination of their contract by mutual agreement, the employer must liquidate the CET by paying a compensatory indemnity. That indemnity must be calculated using the hourly rate in force at the time of its payment.

If the employer is declared bankrupt, the Employment Fund (Fonds pour l’Emploi) will pay the employee for the hours saved in the CET, at up to 2 times the social minimum wage.

Employee rights

The employee must be able to:

• check their CET at any time;
• ascertain, by means of a monthly statement, that their CET is being credited in accordance with their original wishes.

Who to contact