University staff mount court cases, internal complaints 

As former and current staff at the University of Luxembourg’s Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF) report bullying and a toxic working environment, several current and closed court cases, and concerns over an ongoing recruitment procedure illustrate internal troubles at the institution.

Amid widespread reports of mismanagement, the Luxembourg Times gained access to documents relating to several court cases as well as internal emails.

One court case has been filed over alleged discrimination within a promotion procedure. At the centre of the dispute are claims that evaluations were derailed after tensions arose between the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance’s management and members of its Department of Finance.

An assistant professor, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of negative career repercussions, alleged they had initially viewed their promotion as “straightforward”. Criteria signed in May 2023 were “clear”, the person said, adding that they delivered research and teaching “consistently above contractual obligations”.

Yet an evaluation committee later concluded the candidate failed several criteria, including expectations the assistant professor said were never communicated to them. “They made up criteria ex-post,” they said.

The committee itself acknowledged some of these contradictions in response to a letter by the OGBL union, which had formally asked the university’s leadership to clarify why the evaluation did not follow the criteria previously agreed with the candidates and why certain publications and teaching activities were omitted or downgraded.

The committee in a response seen by RTL stood by its overall assessment, despite acknowledging some phrases in its evaluation report had been “imprecise” or “could lend themselves to confusion.”

The OGBL did not respond to a request for comment.

Evidence submitted to the court indicates that the dean initially endorsed the promotion procedures. Complications arose only after one of the candidates up for review refused to withdraw her candidacy for a seat on the University Council, the institution’s academic assembly, the plaintiffs claim, describing the dean’s actions as “retaliation”.

Lawsuits describe alleged discrimination, retaliatory promotions, and toxic work environment at FDEF. © Photo credit: Anouk Antony

The Luxembourg Times spoke to ten current and former members of staff for this report, with several individuals claiming a fear of reprisals stifling dialogue and opposition within the faculty.

According to the lawsuit, the dean told members of the faculty in March 2024 that the signed criteria were “not binding” and that the committee would not necessarily follow them, contradicting earlier assurances.

Attempts to seek clarification or mediation went nowhere, the assistant professor said in an interview. “If anything, there were more consequences,” they said, describing a deteriorating work climate and negative health repercussions.

“The problem is power, not administration. There are a few positions with way too much authority,” the assistant professor said. “If I am doing this, it is because I want to save the university and make things better.”

The first hearing is scheduled for 2027, but can be pulled forward if the administrative judge considers it urgent. The rectorate confirmed receipt of the lawsuit during a 13 November press conference but declined to disclose further information.

Also read:Workplace bullying still under-reported, despite improved law

Concerns over active recruitment procedure

With a verdict still pending on the promotions in finance, concerns have more recently been raised over an ongoing recruitment procedure for an assistant professorship in the law department of the same faculty.

Recruitment committees include three internal and three external members. Two of the internal members for the post in question are the dean and the head of the law department. A third member, nominated by the relevant research group, was replaced by the dean, resulting in a professor, who helped write the job description, resigning from his position as representative of this research arm.

The faculty uses a grading system of applicants for its shortlisting process. Applicants are assessed on a scale of A to C on two “necessary” and seven “supplementary” criteria, according to a document seen by the Luxembourg Times.

One of the necessary criteria broadly assesses “adequacy to position,” with no further definition of what makes a candidate adequate. The other grades their publication record.

Good or bad marks by three members of the recruitment committee can make or break an application, making their stacking potentially strategic.

The university did not answer questions whether it is aware of the faculty’s assessment criteria and ranking, and whether it believes this aligns with university rules.

Questions were raised by several professors to the dean and the other internal committee members in an email, seen by this newspaper, over the sidelining of applicants deemed “at least equally qualified” for the position by members of the relevant research group as the shortlisted candidates.

Out of nearly 50 applicants, only four were shortlisted, according to the email. Under the faculty guidelines seen by the Luxembourg Times, “the first five or six candidates” shortlisted during the initial phase should be invited to interview.

Internal committee members did not respond to questions about the concerns raised by faculty members. One of the external members said he did not know about one of the internal members being replaced, nor any other internal communication about the procedure.

The committee applied the faculty’s criteria, the external member said. “I agree with the selection of the shortlisted candidates,” he said.

Also read:Oxford fellow steps down from roles after misconduct claims

Individual complaints or systemic problem?

The rector during a November press conference, held in response to media reports and an anonymous protest outside the Chamber of Deputies, said that it is normal for some members of staff to feel disappointed about recruitment and promotion outcomes.

“Among 10,000 people, there will always be three or four who are frustrated,” the rector told journalists, noting that the university “does everything possible to resolve situations and protect both staff and students.”

People interviewed by the Luxembourg Times described the issue as systemic, however, rather than representing isolated cases. Within the FDEF, opposition to the faculty management has been stifled, they said, including through strategic recruitment decisions.

Individuals interviewed said the same few professors usually sit on hiring committees.

A list compiled by one of this newspaper’s sources of eight recruitment procedures in the law department between 2019 and 2024, shows that the same nine faculty members repeatedly sat on the committees. The dean sat on all eight committees, two further professors on five each.

The Luxembourg Times could not independently verify the accuracy of the list.

There are 18 full professors and eight associate or assistant professors employed within the law department.

The so-called Office of Professorial Affairs, created this year, is meant to strengthen oversight of recruitment procedures. “It carries out a procedural quality-assurance review of each recruitment process once the recruitment committee has finished its work,” a university spokesperson said.

The spokesperson did not comment on questions about what happens when issues are raised within an ongoing recruitment nor how many procedures the office has analysed or its findings.

The university also did not answer questions about the assistant professor position in question and concerns raised within the faculty about the recruitment.

Concerns from former recruiter

A former recruiter for the University of Luxembourg said he had witnessed recurring issues in several hiring procedures between February and August 2025.

For one particular recruitment, the HR officer alleged that a dean exerted significant influence over the selection committee and “was not afraid to show their biases.” The former recruiter did not respond to a request for clarification which faculty the dean belonged to.

“For one position, [the dean] forced a decision in favour of a specific candidate during the final committee meeting,” the recruiter said. “I told them I disagreed. The feedback they provided didn’t justify the selection. [.…] For me, that person wouldn’t even have been shortlisted; they had explicitly said they didn’t want a manager role, yet they were being proposed as head of department.”

The recruiter described the environment as “toxic, characterised by lack of transparency, disorganisation” and a disregard for the quality of talent being sourced.

Dismissals contested in court

The public prosecutor’s office did not provide information on the number of cases filed against the University of Luxembourg and the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance specifically.

It referred the Luxembourg Times back to an answer to a parliamentary question given by the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Stéphanie Obertin, in December.

Also read:Over two dozen complaints about university workplace culture since 2020

The minister said 50 people were fired from the university between 2020 and 2025, during which time the number of staff grew from 2,110 to 2,687. More than 160 staff quit the institution and another 30 contracts expired automatically.

Four dismissals were contested in court, the minister said. Two appeals were successful. “These cases highlighted the need to formalise allegations more rigorously and improve the quality and completeness of dismissal documentation,” Obertin said, noting that the university is working to strengthen internal HR practices and traceability.

Measures are being taken to “ensure fair, compliant, and safe management for all staff,” she said.

One of the four cases involves a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance whose fixed-term contract was terminated early in September 2024.

Faculty recruitment faces scrutiny over opaque procedures and concentrated committee influence. © Photo credit: Pierre Matgé

One of the four cases involves a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance whose fixed-term contract was terminated early in September 2024.

Employed since 2022 on a contract set to run until the end of 2026, the researcher claimed €700,000 in damages, alleging abusive dismissal, violations of whistleblower protections, moral harassment and discrimination.

The labour tribunal in October ruled that the termination was abusive but limited compensation to the equivalent of two months’ wages, which the university had already paid.

Two further cases concerned a secretary at the sciences faculty, who also won her case in December, and another employee who withdrew their case. It is unclear from the documents available which department this person worked in.

Hundreds of cases reported to mediator

Disputes that do not escalate in legal action are usually flagged to the human resources department or to internal resources such as the ombuds office. A 2024 annual report by the office, seen the Luxembourg Times, recorded 206 new cases, 83 of which concern staff members excluding doctoral candidates, representing 40% of all cases.

“The rate of administrative and technical staff increased notably,” the internal report states. A third (34%) of all cases relate to conflicts involving peers, supervisors, committees, authorship issues or working groups.

A notable number of research scientists continue to raise concerns about their structural positioning, the title of their position, internal promotion decisions, and their perceived prospects for internal promotion under current university policy, the report said.

Also read:Luxembourg has third-highest dropout rate in EU

The rectorate “acknowledges these ongoing concerns and has approved a promotion scheme for 2025”, the report states. This is a formal procedure outlining the criteria, number of available positions, and timelines for promotion from research scientist to assistant professor, and further up the academic ladder.

“However, because not all changes suggested by research scientists have been adopted in this scheme, the status and promotion of research scientists remain a matter of tension,” the ombuds office report says.

An updated report is expected in the first quarter of 2026. According to a source within the university, one of the ombuds officers said the mediator has handled nearly 300 cases this year. Neither the ombuds office nor the university confirmed this number.

During the November press conference, human resources head Claire Audollent noted a “slight increase” in reports since 2022, due to greater awareness and internal campaigns encouraging people to speak up, she said.

The ombuds office employs three staff – up from one part-time position when the office was founded – the university said in an email to the Luxembourg Times. It provides “confidential, multi-partial, independent and informal services to the university community,” a spokesperson said.

The Luxembourg Times on Wednesday will look in more detail at official responses to complaints by staff.

Cordula Schnuer, who reported on this story, worked at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance between September 2015 and May 2019.