The Labour Code provides for two payments which eligible employees can receive in addition to their base salary: the hazard allowance and the risk premium. Since 2015, the Superior Labour Court panels have issued conflicting decisions on whether employees can receive the hazard allowance and the risk premium simultaneously. Now, the Superior Labour Court has determined that the additional payments cannot be received simultaneously, even if employees are exposed to different adverse conditions.

The International Labour Conference recently adopted Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment at Work, which reminds member states of their responsibility to promote a general environment of zero tolerance. In its preamble, the convention states that violence and harassment in the world of work can be a violation of human rights and threaten equal opportunities and are incompatible with decent work. But what is the legal framework in Luxembourg?

If employees become ill through no fault of their own and are therefore unable to work, they are still entitled to a wage. Employers' obligation to continue to pay wages is governed by Article 324a of the Code of Obligations. Employers may release themselves from this obligation if they offer employees health insurance for a daily allowance. The Federal Supreme Court has formulated the requirements for employee health insurance.

The Constitutional Court recently found that the requirement for employers to pay interest at a rate of 5% for each day that a journalist's overtime payments remain outstanding conflicts with the Constitution. The court ruled that this requirement places an excessive burden on employers and may result in journalists' unjustified enrichment. Therefore, the court repealed the provision on the grounds that it breached the principles of proportionality and equality.

Despite the dominance of Brexit, employment issues are one of the main election battlegrounds for all of the major political parties. There is a particular focus on current hot topics, including insecure work and the gig economy, the gender (and other) pay gaps and new mechanisms for enforcing employment rights. This article covers the key employment measures that have been proposed by the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the Scottish National Party.