Germany, France and Belgium have agreed not to take into account telework days related to the covid-19 crisis in determining the social security legislation applicable to cross-border workers until that date, the government said in a press release issued on Monday.

“The extension of this agreement is a strong gesture of solidarity from our neighbouring countries. Telework is an important tool in the fight against the spread of covid-19, companies and employers can therefore continue to use it without undergoing a change in their affiliation, thus avoiding undesirable consequences for insured persons and companies,” said social security minister Romain Schneider (LSAP).

Normally, under European legislation, people working more than 25% of contracted hours in another country would have to change social security affiliation to that country.

Concretely, it means that a cross-border worker who carries out his work from his home continues to be affiliated to the Luxembourg social security system until the end of June 2021.

The announcement comes a week after Luxembourg and France agreed that cross-border workers will be able to work remotely until 31 March 2021 without double taxation. Normally, the threshold is 29 days. The grand duchy and Belgium have also lifted their teleworking cap of 24 days until end of March next year.