Care as a right: how caregiver leave works in Luxembourg

As of August 2023, Luxembourg has a new social support mechanism, the so-called "congé d'aidant" (leave for carers). This is a short-term paid leave that allows workers to temporarily suspend their labour activity to care for sick or dependent family members. A response to a parliamentary enquiry by MP Nathalie Morgenthaler, provided by Labour Minister Georges Mischo, reveals the first statistical results of this initiative.

Since its launch, the programme has shown a steady increase in demand. In 2023 there were 192 applications, but already in 2024 there were 1,758. In the first two months of 2025, another 393 applications were received. The total result is 2,343 cases of using the new mechanism.

Although "congé d'aidant" is limited to just five days per year, in reality employees request an average of 17.14 hours - just over two full working days. This indicates a spotty, emergency use of leave, where assistance is required for a brief but critical period.

The largest number of applications (42.9 per cent) were for caring for the parents of workers - a dominant category, confirming that it is the 'middle-aged' generation that is most actively involved in caring for ageing parents.

The total budget is 740,862.98 €. At the same time, leave for civil service and municipal employees is not financed from the budget of the Ministry of Labour (Ministère du Travail), but from other sources, which reduces the burden on the main social treasury.

Despite its time-limited format, the "congé d'aidant" has proved to be a much sought-after support tool to help balance professional and family life. Its popularity shows that the need to care for loved ones is one of the key social realities in Luxembourg today.