Applying for special leave if you are a volunteer firefighter in the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS)
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Volunteer firefighters who provide emergency services through the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (Corps grand-ducal d’incendie et de secours - CGDIS) and members of other emergency service organisations are eligible for special leave to perform these duties.
Public- and private-sector employers are required to excuse employees who belong to a CGDIS unit from their work obligations in the event of an emergency that requires their unit to respond.
Employers are reimbursed and self-employed workers are compensated based on a form issued by the CGDIS.
Self-employed workers who receive special leave are compensated based on a flat-rate hourly allowance, set at twice the social minimum wage for skilled workers.
Who is concerned
Eligible persons
You are entitled to special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters if you are a public- or private-sector employee or are self-employed, and undergo training and perform the following duties in connection with emergency services:
- lead training courses and continuing and advanced vocational training for volunteer firefighters;
- lead training courses for instructors who teach courses in this field and educate the population and workers;
- lead training courses for instructors of young firefighters.
The following people are also eligible for special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters, provided that they perform these duties voluntarily and the leave is requested for the purpose of performing these duties:
- heads and deputy heads of intervention centres;
- group leaders and deputy leaders;
- regional inspectors and deputy regional inspectors;
- volunteer firefighters from a response unit that, on Government orders, carries out humanitarian missions outside of Luxembourg in the event of a disaster:
- either at the request of the affected country/countries;
- or as part of an international aid effort;
- members of the executive committee and members of the young firefighters commission of the National Federation of Fire Brigades;
- people who take on representation duties at national and international level.
Eligible representation duties
Representation duties may be performed by:
- specialists appointed by the CGDIS board of directors;
- management officials from the National Federation of Fire Brigades;
- management officials of accredited emergency service organisations;
- and by any other person who attends national or international events and is appointed by the minister in charge of emergency services.
Deadlines
Applications for special leave must be submitted at least 2 months before the start of the requested leave period.
The director general may make an exception to this deadline if valid reasons are provided.
How to proceed
Application for special leave
The application for special leave must include proof of enrolment or participation, and be sent to the director general of the CGDIS.
Once the application is approved by the director general of the CGDIS, employees must submit their application to their employer. The employer may decline to excuse the employee if the absence requested could seriously impact the operation of the business, the administration or public service, or the scheduling of the staff's annual paid leave.
In principle, authorisation for the CGDIS volunteer corps is valid for the current calendar year. In the event that the entitlement to special leave is terminated, the CGDIS notifies the beneficiary and the beneficiary's employer in writing.
If the mandate entitling the worker to special leave begins or ends during the year, the amount of special leave granted is calculated in proportion to the duration of the mandate in said year.
Length of special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters
Special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters:
- cannot exceed 20 working days over a period of 2 years;
- for each beneficiary, cannot exceed 60 working days during the beneficiary's career in the CGDIS. The following are exempt from that 60-day limit:
- course leaders;
- people who take on representation duties;
- heads and deputy heads of intervention centres;
- group leaders and deputy group leaders;
- regional inspectors and deputy regional inspectors;
- volunteer firefighters from a response unit that, on Government orders, carries out humanitarian missions outside of Luxembourg in the event of a disaster:
- either at the request of the affected country/countries;
- or as part of an international aid effort;
- members of the executive committee and members of the young firefighters commission of the National Federation of Fire Brigades;
- may be split, with each fraction counting for at least 4 hours;
- cannot be deducted from annual leave. Unless the employer agrees, the special leave may not be combined with a period of annual leave or sick leave if this combination would result in a continuous absence exceeding the total length of annual leave due;
- may be deferred if the absence applied for could seriously impact the operation of the business, the administration or public service, or the scheduling of the staff's annual paid leave.
Repercussions of the special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters on the employment relationship
Special leave is considered to be an effective period of work, and as such:
- may not be deducted from the annual leave;
- must be taken into consideration when calculating the days of annual leave due.
During their special leave, the employee continues to benefit from the provisions regarding labour protection and social security.
Exemption from professional obligations
Public- and private-sector employers are required to excuse employees who belong to the CGDIS from their work obligations in the event of an emergency that requires the response of the unit to which the employees belong. The obligation to excuse employees from duty does not apply to stand-by duty organised by the CGDIS.
When employers believe that an absence from work is wrongful, they may appeal to the minister in charge of emergency services.
Private-sector employers may request repayment for loss incurred by the absence of staff.
Allowances for special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters
During the period of special leave:
- public- and private-sector employees will continue to be paid and receive the benefits related to their position;
- self-employed workers will receive a compensatory allowance set at twice the social minimum wage for skilled workers. Payment of the indemnity is limited to 8 hours per day and only applies to working days.
Covering the costs of special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters
The costs of special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters are covered by the Government when they pertain to:
- managerial staff of the National Federation of Fire Brigades;
- and members of accredited emergency services organisations.
For CGDIS volunteer firefighters, the costs of special leave are covered by the CGDIS.
Employers or self-employed workers must submit the application for reimbursement to the director general of the CGDIS within 3 months following the action for which reimbursement or compensation is being requested.
Employers or self-employed workers must submit the application for reimbursement to the director general of the CGDIS within 3 months following the action for which the reimbursement is being sought, when special leave is being requested by the following people:
- heads and deputy heads of intervention centres;
- group leaders and deputy group leaders;
- regional inspectors and deputy regional inspectors;
- members of the executive committee and members of the young firefighters commission of the National Federation of Fire Brigades.
The accuracy of the information on the form is certified by the signature of the person concerned.
Self-employed workers complete the form and sign and submit the declaration and the application for reimbursement themselves.
Employers and self-employed workers who wish to be reimbursed for absences due to emergency situations must follow the same reimbursement procedure as for special leave for CGDIS volunteer firefighters.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Corps grand-ducal d’incendie et de secours (CGDIS)
- Address:
- 3, boulevard de Kockelscheuer L-1821 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
-
(+352) 49 77 12 332
Volunteer Department
- Email address:
- administratif@cgdis.lu
- Website:
- https://112.public.lu/fr.html
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
des secours du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Tools
Consult the current social parameters.
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 27 mars 2018
portant organisation de la sécurité civile et création d’un Corps grand-ducal d’incendie et de secours
-
Règlement grand-ducal du 13 juillet 2018
sur les associations et organismes agréé(e)s de secours
