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The Luxembourg employment contract: probation, notice, termination
Durations are set by law and scale with seniority. Knowing them changes how you negotiate an arrival as much as a departure.
The written contract, and what it must contain
The contract is concluded in writing by the start date at the latest, in two copies. It states in particular the role, place of work, working time, pay and any probation period. The place of work deserves a cross-border worker's attention: it is what anchors the contract in Luxembourg, and with it every social right that follows.
Probation
Probation is not automatic: it must be written down, and its length is bounded by minima and maxima tied to qualification and pay level. During probation, termination periods are shorter than afterwards but do exist — you cannot end it overnight. Once probation passes, the ordinary regime applies, which is considerably more protective.
Notice and dismissal
Notice depends on seniority and differs according to whether the employer or the employee ends the contract — the resigning employee's being shorter. A dismissal with notice must be reasoned if the employee asks, within a set deadline, and the grounds given define the ground for any challenge. Dismissal with immediate effect requires serious misconduct and is contested before the labour tribunal.
Where to enforce your rights
The Inspection du travail et des mines enforces labour law, and the Chambre des salariés informs and trains employees, cross-border workers included. Unions support disputes. A cross-border worker comes under Luxembourg law and the Luxembourg labour tribunal for contractual matters: their home country's employment tribunal is not the place to go.
