Luxembourg Ensures Workers Don’t Lose Holidays Falling on Weekends

In Luxembourg, workers are entitled to recover public holidays that fall on a weekend — a rule that sets the country apart from many of its European neighbors. This year, All Saints’ Day (November 1) fell on a Saturday, reigniting the debate over how different nations handle holidays that overlap with weekends.

According to the Luxembourg Labour Code, if a public holiday coincides with a rest day such as Saturday or Sunday, employees are allowed to take that day off on another date agreed with their employer. This ensures that everyone benefits from the 11 statutory public holidays per year, regardless of how the calendar aligns.

Belgium follows a similar approach. When a public holiday falls on a weekend, employers must assign a replacement day during the week, allowing workers to fully enjoy their entitlement. The specific replacement day is decided by the company but remains mandatory.

In contrast, France, Germany, and Portugal do not offer such compensation. In France, if a public holiday falls on a Sunday or another rest day, workers simply lose it, unless a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise. Germany maintains the same rule: even though each federal state determines its own holidays, none require that a weekend holiday be moved to a weekday.

Portugal also considers public holidays as mandatory rest days, but no recovery day is granted if one coincides with the weekly day off. As a result, this year’s November 1 holiday passed without compensation for Portuguese workers.

While some countries view lost holidays as part of the calendar’s natural rhythm, Luxembourg and Belgium stand out for ensuring that workers never miss their well-earned days of rest — even when the weekend gets in the way.  
Read More : Luxembourg allows you to recover holidays that coincide with a weekend. What about neighbouring countries? | Contact

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