Family hospice leave

Family hospice leave

When someone close to you is dying, it is essential to be able to give them all the support they need during this difficult time.

Special leave is available to accompany a loved one in their final moments, offering the opportunity to be fully present: family hospice leave.

All you need to know

Eligibility conditions for family hospice leave

Special leave to accompany a terminally ill relative may be granted if the applicant is:

  • A salaried employee ;
  • A civil servant working for the State, a local authority or a public institution;
  • An employee of the State, a local authority or a public institution;
  • Worker for the State, a local authority or a public institution.

Special leave will also be authorised if the person being cared for is :

  • A direct relative (mother, daughter, mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, father, son, father-in-law or son-in-law);
  • A sister or sister-in-law, brother or brother-in-law;
  • A spouse or legally recognised partner.

Duration of family hospice leave

The maximum duration of family hospice leave may not exceed 5 working days (40 hours) per family member per year. However, it may be split up or taken on a part-time basis with the employer's authorisation.

Shared family hospice leave

When several relatives request family hospice leave for the same relative at the end of their life, the total duration of the leave granted may not exceed 40 hours.

Family hospice leave ends on the date of the relative's death.

Procedure for obtaining family hospice leave

Sending the request to the CNS

To apply for family hospice leave, you must send the CNS the 'Attestation pour l'octroi d'un congé d'accompagnement' (certificate of entitlement to family hospice leave) form duly completed by the doctor, certifying the serious terminal illness of the person to be cared for.

The form 'Demande d'octroi d'un congé d'accompagnement d'une personne en fin de vie' (application for family hospice leave to accompany a person at the end of life)

Good to know: If the person at the end of life does not have a 13-digit Luxembourg identification number, a copy of their birth certificate, family record book or identity card must be provided.

Receipt of authorisation from the CNS

Once the leave has been granted, the CNS will send a booklet to the address provided, containing:

  • A set of supporting forms entitled 'Justificatif d'absence pour congé d'accompagnement' (justification of absence for family hospice leave)
  • Individual labels (40 in total) to be affixed to the forms. Each label corresponds to one hour of family hospice leave.

Good to know: The CNS issues a single family leave booklet. If the leave is shared with other people, it must be made available to the other beneficiaries.

Information for the employer

The employer must be informed no later than the first day of the family hospice leave.

Each time leave is taken, the ‘justification for absence for family hospice leave’ must be completed, with the appropriate number of stickers affixed (one sticker per hour of leave), and then sent to the employer.

If the leave is shared, each beneficiary follows the same procedure with their employer.

Salary during family hospice leave

Continuation of the employee's remuneration

During family hospice leave, the employer continues to pay the salary/wages.

Reimbursement of salary advanced by the employer

Employers may be reimbursed by the Employers‘ Mutual Insurance Fund (Mutualité des employeurs-MDE) for salaries paid in the event of their employees’ incapacity for work, provided that these periods are reported to the Social Security Centre (Centre commun de la sécurité sociale-CCSS). It is therefore important to report days of absence to care for a relative at the end of their life (family hospice leave) in order to ensure reimbursement of advanced salaries.

CCSS: Declaring an incapacity for work

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