Are you employing Spanish employees on your payroll? Or is your organization about to open a branch in Spain? One of the biggest challenges is navigating the country’s laws and regulations. Salaries, leave arrangements, and employment rules may also differ from what you are used to.
This guide explains the essentials of HR and payroll in Spain, giving you a complete overview of what to consider.
1. Labour Considerations
Collective Labour Agreements (CLA’s) and Trade Unions
CLA’s and Trade Unions
Collective labor agreements in Spain come in various forms, supplementing each other at national, sectoral, and company levels. National agreements form the framework for negotiations at lower levels. Approximately 80% of the Spanish workforce is covered by one or more collective agreements.
1. Sectoral agreements typically apply to one or more provinces, but they can also span all of Spain or be limited to a specific region. These agreements provide a comprehensive package of employment terms, including base salaries, bonuses, allowances, working hours, leave, the rights of union representatives, and the informational rights of employee committees. Two other types of sectoral agreements include procedural “framework agreements,” which regulate negotiation protocols, and cross-sectoral agreements addressing broader issues at regional or national levels.
2. Company-level agreements (or division/branch-level) take precedence over
sectoral agreements. They include specific provisions on salaries, bonuses,
overtime pay, working hours, leave planning, job classifications, and work-life
balance
Major Trade Unions
Trade union organizations in sectoral-level collective bargaining have the authority to negotiate agreements with employers or employer organizations on behalf of the workforce. This authority depends on their representation at national, regional, sectoral, or company levels.
The two prominent national trade union federations are:
- Comisiones Obreras (CCOO): A communist federation with nearly 1.1 million members.
- Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT): A slightly smaller socialdemocratic federation.
In sectoral and company-level negotiations, representatives from these unions generally participate. Other unions may also be recognized as representatives in specific industries or regions, particularly in Basque Country and Galicia. About 14% of the workforce in Spain is unionized.
Local Union Chapters
Trade unions can establish chapters within companies or workplaces where they have members. These chapters (sección sindical) may collect union dues, distribute publications, and hold member meetings outside working hours. In workplaces with over 250 employees, prominent unions must have access to bulletin boards and office space for their activities. Local chapters appoint union delegates based on the company’s size and the union’s support among employees
Negotiations
Collective labor agreement negotiations take place in a joint negotiation committee, consisting of representatives of employers and employees. Its composition must be legally proportional to the representativeness of the union or the business organizations, based on membership numbers, election results, and seats on company councils. Ultimately, agreements by both sides at the negotiation table require the approval of the majority.
All the (other) caveats and conditions regarding collective labor agreement negotiations can be found on this webpage of el Ministerio de Trabajo y Economía Social, the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security.
Labor Legislation
Spain’s labor and social security law, known as the, Código Laboral y de la Seguridad Social, safeguards employee rights. These rights are extensive compared to other European countries. The labor law is divided into six parts:
- A reference to the Constitution.
- Labor legislation, covering areas such as rights and duties of employers and employees, equal treatment, safe and healthy working environments, freedom of association, collective bargaining, contract types, vocational training, wages, working hours, and protections for minors, pregnant workers, disabled employees, and older workers.
- Social security, describing the system broadly and specifying benefits related to disability, maternity, parental leave, unemployment, and pensions.
- Prevention of occupational risks.
- Infractions and sanctions within the social order, addressing violations related to labor contracts, safety regulations, working hours, and antidiscrimination policies.
- Social jurisdiction, detailing how labor and social security disputes are handled within the Spanish legal system.
Labor Contracts
Employment contracts can be concluded either orally or in writing. Written documentation is mandatory for training contracts, internship contracts, and so-called intermittent employment contracts (with variable working hours and on-call availability indefinitely). However, according to EU Directive 2019/1152, an employer must confirm the essential terms of employment in writing (digitally or physically) within one week after the first working day.
For written contracts, el Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE), the National Employment Service, provides model contracts as a basis for each agreement. This agency falls under the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. The ministrial model contracts are categorized into four main types:
- Permanent contracts.
- Fixed-term contracts.
- Training contracts.
- Intermediary employment contracts.
Employers and employees may modify the terms of the model contract by mutual agreement. Additional clauses, such as non-compete agreements or pension plans, can be included in separate documents. Employers may unilaterally alter certain contract terms, but strict conditions and consequences apply. Labor law distinguishes between substantial and non-substantial modifications.
Temporary Contracts
Temporary contracts often carry the same terms (including pay) as equivalent permanent contracts, except for specific provisions like bonuses or severance pay. Interns or trainees may receive reduced compensation.
Regulations for international workers
Spain does not impose special rules for recruiting workers from other EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway (non-EU members but part of the European Economic Area), and Switzerland.
For cross-border employment relationships within the EU/EEA, Regulation (EC) No. 593/2008 Rome I applies.
Highly skilled individuals from non-EU/EEA countries or Switzerland may work in Spain under the “Blue Card” system, based on EU Directive 2009/50/EC.
Since 2021, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the EU or the EEA. British employees intending to work in Spain for more than 90 days require a European Blue Card.
Paperwork for hiring
Under EU Directive 2019/1152 , employers must provide a written (or digital) employment contract within one week of an employee’s start date. The contract must include key details. This concerns, among other things, the existence and duration of a probationary period. Its maximum duration depends on the applicable collective labor agreement. In the absence of collective agreements, a maximum probationary period of two months applies (three months in companies with up to 25 employees); for qualified technicians, the maximum is six months, regardless of the size of the company.
For employment contracts lasting up to six months, the probationary period may not exceed one month, unless otherwise specified in the applicable collective labor agreement. For internship contracts, a statutory maximum of one or two months applies, depending on the level of the position.
If an employee has previously performed the same tasks for the same employer, a new employment contract may not include a probationary period.
Working time
Workday Duration
A standard workday in Spain may not exceed nine hours. For employees under 18, the limit is eight hours per day. Employers may deviate from this standard if the applicable collective agreement or companylevel agreement specifies alternative (e.g., irregular) distributions of daily working hours.
Mandatory Breaks
- After every six hours of work, employees must take a break of at least 15 minutes.
- Each workday must be followed by at least 12 hours of rest.
- Employees under 18 are entitled to at least 30 minutes of rest after working 4.5
hours. - Depending on collective agreements or contracts, workday breaks may count as paid
working hours. Employers must adhere to minimum daily and weekly rest periods,
even if a collective or company-level agreement allows irregular working time distribution
Annual Work Hours
If no other arrangements are specified, employers may allocate up to 10% of the annual
working hours irregularly throughout the year. Employees must be notified at least five days in
advance of any such adjustments.
Workweek Duration
A full workweek in Spain consists of 40 hours, calculated as an annual average. Hours worked beyond this limit are considered overtime, which must be compensated with either higher pay or equivalent time off.
2. Salaries, Termination, and Pensions
Salaries
Employers and employees are free to negotiate salaries. However, the agreed-upon amount must comply with the national minimum wage, the minimum rates outlined in the applicable collective agreement, and the principle of “equal pay for equal work” (regardless of gender, race, disability, hours worked, or employment relationship).
The Minimum Wage: SMI
All employers, domestic or international, must pay employees working in Spain at least the statutory interprofessional minimum wage (salario mínimo interprofesional – SMI). This applies to all ages, including minors.
The current minimum wage can be found on this page of the Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE), the Spanish National Employment Service under the Ministry of Employment and Social
Security
At the beginning of each year, the government raises the SMI by decree after consulting with
major trade unions and employer organizations. This adjustment considers inflation, Spain’s
economic situation, national labor productivity, and the growth of national income.
Payments
Salaries are typically paid monthly, which aligns with the legal maximum, but weekly or bi-weekly payments can also be agreed upon. Payments can be made via check (still common in Spain), bank transfer, or in cash, with a cash limit of €1,000 per transaction. For every payment, employees must receive an itemized payslip, either in paper or digital format.
Bonuses
Employees in Spain are legally entitled to two bonus payments per year:
- A vacation bonus, typically paid in June or July as specified in the collective agreement or company-level arrangement.
- A Christmas bonus.
The amount of these bonuses is fixed in the applicable collective labor agreement or company agreement, but often it amounts to twice an extra monthly salary. Keep that in mind during salary negotiations! In some agreements, the vacation bonus can be divided into multiple installments.
Overtime Payment
As mentioned in Chapter 1, Spain’s standard workweek is 40 hours. Any hours worked beyond this are considered overtime. Overtime must be voluntary unless otherwise specified in the collective agreement or individual employment contract.
Employees may work a maximum of 80 overtime hours per year, excluding exceptional circumstances (e.g., preventing or recovering from accidents). Employers may compensate overtime with extra pay or equivalent time off, provided overtime within the 80-hour limit is compensated within four months. Any overtime exceeding this limit must be compensated with time off. Overtime pay is subject to additional social security contributions and must equal at least the normal hourly wage. Collective agreements typically specify a premium rate for overtime
Since 2019, employers are required to keep daily records of each employee’s working hours, including start and end times. These records must be stored for four years and made available to employees, their representatives, and labor inspectors.
Payslip Components Include:
- Employer and employee details
- Employee’s job category.
- Payment period.
- Gross base salary according to the collective agreement or individual contract
- Additional compensation (bonuses, overtime, and extra hours for parttime contracts)
- Incidental payments, benefits in kind, and other reimbursements
- Social security contributions
- Employee deductions
- Income tax withheld
- Net salary
- Payment date
- Employer’s signature, company seal, and payment receipt confirmation date
A model payslip is available in the Boletín Oficial del Estado, the Official
Gazette of Spain.
Dismissal
Termination of a Permanent Contract
If you wish to terminate an open-ended employment contract, you must provide valid and well-documented reasons in your termination letter, based on the following grounds:
– Disciplinary reasons (gross, intentional, and very serious misconduct) or non-disciplinary reasons (serious underperformance). If an employer intends to dismiss an employee, the employee must generally be given the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations. There is no statutory notice period in these cases. However, notice periods may apply if agreed upon by the parties involved, or if stipulated by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or company policy
– Objective reasons Due to overall underperformance or for reasons unrelated to the individual employee (such as a negative economic situation, declining demand for the employer’s products or services, or changes in production methods, work processes, or business operations).
In such cases, a statutory notice period of at least 15 calendar days applies (or an equivalent salary compensation instead). Additionally, the employee is entitled to six hours of paid leave per week to search for a new job and to severance pay of 20 days’ salary per year of service with the company..
Employees who are unable (or unwilling) to adapt to changes in the existing work process must first be offered training if the changes are reasonable and technical in nature. Only after this training may the employer suspend the employment contract, during which the employee will continue to
receive their regular salary. The actual dismissal procedure may only take place if the employee has had at least two months to adjust or complete the training.
– By mutual agreemen, in the event of the employee’s death or retirement.
Termination of multiple permanent contracts
For example, in a negative economic situation and/or a declining demand for your products or services, you as an employer may (or must) decide to dismiss several employees at once. The same applies to other “general objective grounds for collective dismissal,” such as changes in the production means, work methods, or business processes used.
Collective dismissal occurs if, within a period of 90 days, at least ten employees are dismissed in a company with fewer than one hundred employees, or 10 percent of the workforce in a company with between one hundred and three hundred employees, or thirty employees in a company with three hundred or more employees.
In the case of planned collective dismissal, an employer must inform the public labor authorities and follow a statutory information and consultation procedure with employee representatives, in order to prevent or reduce the planned dismissals as much as possible.
As with individual dismissals for objective reasons, employees subject to collective dismissal are entitled to a statutory severance payment of twenty days’ wages per year of service, up to a maximum of twelve months.
Termination of Fixed-Term Contracts
Fixed-term contracts may be terminated for the following reasons:
- Disciplinary Reasons: Severe misconduct or poor performance.
- Objective Reasons: Business-related factors like economic issues or
changes in production methods.
• Force Majeure: Unforeseen external events that make it impossible to
continue the contract. - Contractual Conditions: Valid and lawful reasons outlined in the
contract. - Mutual agreement, death, or retirement of the employee.
If you want to terminate a fixed-term employment contract that has lasted
more than a year, a minimum notice period of 15 days usually applies. For
replacement contracts, the agreed notice terms apply
- Note: A fixed-term contract automatically converts to a permanent contract after a certain period, subject to the aforementioned termination rules.
- Depending on the type of work and the collective agreement provisions, the maximum duration for fixed-term contracts is four years, though in many cases, it is limited to 24 months. This maximum also applies to temporary employees with multiple successive fixed-term contracts if they exceed the limit within 2.5 years.
- Fixed-term employees are generally entitled to severance pay of 12 days’ salary per year of service upon contract termination (compared to 20 days for permanent contracts). However, this severance bonus does not apply to employees who resign before the contract ends
Probation for Temporary Employees
Temporary employees can also be dismissed during their probationary period. The details of this period must be specified in the contract. For contracts lasting up to six months, the probationary period cannot exceed one month, unless otherwise specified in the applicable collective agreement. Other rules for probation are the same as those for permanent contracts.
Termination by the Employee
If employees wish to terminate their contract, the same rules apply to both
permanent and fixed-term employees:
- Notice must be given in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. If no agreement exists, the resignation must follow customary workplace practices.
- Generally, notice periods range from 15 days to one month, although some collective agreements require a notice period of three months.
- After serious misconduct by the employer, such as sexual harassment or gender-related violence that demonstrably makes the work environment unsafe, the dismissal may take effect immediately, provided that the employee can substantiate this with an official complaint or statement.
Pension Accumulation
Spain offers various options for pensions and retirement. The official retirement age
depends on the type of pension chosen by the employee.
- The normal retirement (jubilación ordinaria) is the most common type. The start date is determined by the employee’s age and years of service. Other forms include early retirement (jubilación anticipada). Usually with reduced benefits and partial retirement (jubilación parcial).
- For individuals who have not accumulated sufficient pension contributions, the state offers a small pension in cases of financial need to ensure a minimum income.
- Employers are required to contribute to an old-age pension for their employees through contributions to the public social security system. These contributions are deducted from employees’ wages. Since 2023, the Intergenerational Equity Mechanism (Mecanismo de Equidad Intergeneracional – MEI) has been added to this system. Employers and employees pay an additional contribution, which is planned to increase annually. For example:
- In 2023, the total contribution was 0.6% (0.5% from the employer and 0.1% from
the employee).
- In 2023, the total contribution was 0.6% (0.5% from the employer and 0.1% from
By 2029, this will increase to 1.2% (1.0% from the employer and 0.2% from the
employee).
- In some cases, collective agreements require employers to contribute to occupational or private pension plans, but this is not a universal rule.
- The total maximum annual contributions by both employees and employers to pension schemes may not exceed €1,500. Employers may raise this limit annually to a maximum of €10,000, provided the additional contributions come from the employer.
Retirement age
The official retirement age in Spain is 65 years.
To retire at this age, employees must have accumulated at least 38 years and 3 months of pension contributions. By 2027, this minimum requirement will increase to 38 years and 6 months.
Employees who turn 65 in 2025 but have not met this minimum requirement must continue working for an additional 20 months after their birthday. In 2026 and 2027, this extension will increase to 22
and 24 months, respectively, beyond the employee’s 65th birthday
3. Taxes and social Insurance
The Spanish government requires employers to deduct income tax (“at the source”) from employees’ wages. This withholding tax also applies to non-residents, such as international employees, for income derived from Spanish sources (e.g., employers, investments, real estate, and economic activities).
Income Tax
The Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency) applies the applicable individual tax rates. Employers normally remit the withheld amounts monthly, unless their annual turnover is below 6 million euros; in that case, they may remit them quarterly. In both cases, the payment must be
made no later than the 20th day of the following month. Spain has a progressive tax system but with different specifications and regulations. The national rates for personal income tax (IRPF – Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas) are as follows:
- 19% on annual income up to €12,449.
- 24% on income between €12,450 and €20,200.
- 30% on the next €15,000 (up to €35,200).
- 37% on income between €35,200 and €60,000.
- 45% on income between €60,001 and €300,000.
- 47% on income above €300,000.
Personal circumstances, such as marital status and the number of dependent
children, can influence these percentages.
Social Insurance
In addition to withholding income tax, employers are also responsible for mandatory contributions to the social security system. Contributions are shared between employers and employees and cover the following:
- General contingencies: 30% of the employee’s salary (23.6% paid by the
employer and 4.7% by the employee). This includes healthcare and pension
insurance.
- Unemployment insurance for permanent contracts: 7.05% (5.5% paid by the
employer and 1.55% by the employee).
- Unemployment insurance for fixed-term contracts: 8.3% (6.7% paid by the
employer and 1.6% by the employee), excluding training and replacement
contracts.
- Vocational training contributions: 0.6% paid by the employer and 0.1% by
the employee
- Work-related injury and occupational disease insurance: Only the employer pays, with a variable rate depending on the type of work and associated risks (ranging from 1.5% for office work to 7.15% for mining).
- Wage Guarantee Fund (Fondo de Garantía Salarial): Only the employer pays
0.2%.
- Intergenerational Equity Mechanism (MEI): A contribution, gradually increasing annually until 2029, shared between employers and employees. See Chapter 2 for more details.
Note: The percentages for social contributions may change annually. Please consult the most recent data from the Agencia Tributaria or the social security authority.
The Agencia Tributaria applies social contributions only to wages exceeding a minimum base and below a maximum threshold. The minimum base depends on the employee’s social security category and increases annually in line with the national minimum wage.
4. Leave policies
Vacation days and other leave
- Employees in Spain are entitled to a minimum of 30 calendar days of annual leave. Public holidays and Sundays are included in this count, effectively providing 22 to 23 paid working days of vacation in most cases
- Employees with part-time contracts have the same rights as full-time workers. Many collective
agreements specify that the 30 calendar days should be calculated as working days.
- Unused vacation days cannot be exchanged for financial compensation, except in cases where
the employment relationship ends before the accrued leave is used
- Accrual of vacation days continues during periods of sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave, adoption leave, force majeure leave, annual leave, and lawful strikes.
- The scheduling of vacation periods is subject to mutual agreement between employer and
employee and must comply with annual planning as specified in collective agreements or
company-level arrangements. Employees must be informed of the dates of their vacation
periods at least two months in advance.
- Employees must take their vacation in the year it is accrued and cannot transfer it to the
following year, except in these cases:- If an employee is on maternity or paternity leave during the scheduled annual vacation
period, the employee may also take their vacation in the following year. The same rule
applies if the employee was on sick leave due to complications during pregnancy. - After a period of temporary incapacity, employees can use their vacation days up to 18
months after the end of the year in which the leave was accrued, provided their incapacity
overlapped with the scheduled vacation period. - If an employee is on sick leave during the planned annual vacation due to incapacity for work, and as a result, cannot (fully) take their annual leave in the same year, they are allowed to take the annual leave at a later time. However, this must occur within 18 months after the end of the leave year.
- If an employee is on maternity or paternity leave during the scheduled annual vacation
Generally, employees receive the same compensation during their annual vacation
as they would during a normal work period, regardless of applicable collective
labor agreements (CLA). Certain remuneration components, such as attendance
bonuses, performance bonuses, or travel allowances, are not necessarily included
in this calculation. However, due to case law, you must account for the average
monthly salary—including remuneration components—paid to the employee
throughout the year.
Public holidays and rest days
Sunday Rest
- Employees may not work more than 5.5 consecutive days per week and are entitled to a weekly rest period of at least 36 uninterrupted hours. This typically includes Sunday and either Saturday afternoon or Monday morning.
- This rest entitlement may be calculated over a 14-day period.
- Employees under 18 years of age are entitled to a continuous weekly rest period
of two calendar days.
- Employers must respect daily and weekly minimum rest periods, even if
collective or company-level agreements allow irregular work schedules.
Public Holidays
Spain observes a maximum of 14 public holidays per year, including national and regional holidays. National holidays include:
- January 1 (New Year’s Day
- Good Friday (preceding Easter)
- May 1 (Labor Day)
- August 15 (Assumption of Mary)
- October 12 (Hispanic Day)
- November 1 (All Saints’ Day
- December 6 (Constitution Day)
- December 8 (Immaculate Conception)
- December 25 (Christmas)
Employees are entitled to paid leave on these days. If employees work on a public holiday, they are entitled to either regular pay plus equivalent time off or enhanced pay, as stipulated by the applicable collective or company agreement
Vacation Bonus
You can read more about the Spanish variant of vacation bonus in Chapter 2.1,
under the heading Bonuses.
Sick Leave Compensation
Employers are not legally required to pay employees who cannot work due to illness; sick leave immediately suspends the employment contract. Instead, employees are entitled to a social security benefit, provided they meet the minimum contribution and employment requirements. The employer handles the administrative processing and continues to pay the employee’s wage during this period.
- For the first three days of sick leave, employees are not entitled to payment.
- From the fourth to the 20th day, the employer pays 60% of the social security base salary.
- From the 21st day onwards, this increases to 75%.
- Some collective agreements require employers to supplement the social security benefit to an agreed-upon percentage.
- If the illness or injury is work-related, the employee receives 75% of their salary from the first day of absence. Social security also covers healthcare, rehabilitation, reintegration, and retraining costs as needed
- In cases of permanent incapacity due to a work-related accident or illness, the employee is entitled to a state pension. If the incapacity results from the employer’s failure to meet health and safety obligations, the social security administration may impose a 30–50% surcharge on the employer.
Maternity and Parental leave
All forms of leave mentioned below suspend the employment contract (similar to sick leave). Legally, this leave is considered equivalent to an active employment relationship, meaning the employee continues to accrue rights such as vacation days and years of service
Employees are entitled to state benefits equal to their base salary during leave, provided they have contributed to social security for at least 180 days in the 7 years preceding the leave request or 360 days over their entire career. For employees under 26 years old, these thresholds are halved.
If the employee does not meet these requirements, they may qualify for other benefits through national or regional social services.
During leave, employees are protected from dismissal and must be reinstated in the same or an equivalent role after the leave ends. Employees must notify their employer of parental leave at least 15 days in advance.
Maternity Leave
- The standard maternity leave in Spain (baja por maternidad) grants women the right to a fully paid leave period of 16 consecutive weeks. This increases to 18 weeks for twins, 20 weeks for triplets, and so on. For children with a disability, an additional two weeks per child is granted.
- Starting from four weeks before the expected due date, the employee may begin her maternity leave.
- Immediately after the birth, she must take six full weeks of maternity leave, which is mandatory and cannot be waived.
- The remaining weeks can be taken within 12 months after the birth. This can be done in either continuous or split-week blocks. In consultation with the employer and the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS), this leave may also be taken on a parttime basis
- Parents may transfer parts of the leave to the other parent, provided both meet the social security contribution requirements.
Leave for Adoption or Foster Care
- Upon the arrival of an adopted or foster child, the employee must also take six weeks of full-time leave, starting immediately after the official (judicial or administrative) decision.
- The remaining 10 weeks can be taken within 12 months of the adoption or foster care decision. This leave should, in principle, be taken in either continuous or split-week blocks. In consultation with the employer and the INSS, this leave may also be taken part-time.
- Parents may transfer parts of the leave to the other parent, provided both meet the social security contribution requirements.
Paternity Leave (baja por paternidad)
- Since 2021, paternity leave in Spain offers the same rights and conditions as maternity leave.
- In addition to biological fathers, partners in adoption or foster care situations, as well as the cohabiting partner of
the mother, are eligible for this leave.
Privileges for Pregnant or Parenting Employees
- Employees may not be dismissed or discriminated against due to pregnancy, maternity, paternity, adoption, or foster care.
- From the moment of birth, adoption, or foster care, employees are entitled to 12 months of dismissal protection, even if the employer is unaware of the situation. Exceptions include severe misconduct unrelated to these conditions or other reasons making the continuation of the employment relationship impossible.
- Pregnant and recently delivered employees have the right to time off for medical care without a loss of salary.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding employees must work in a safe and healthy environment. Employers are required to adjust tasks and/or working hours as necessary to ensure this.
- Employees are entitled to one hour of work interruption per day to breastfeed a child under nine months old (this increases by one hour per child in the case of multiple births). This hour can be split into two periods of 30 minutes.
- Instead of taking a breastfeeding break, employees may reduce their daily working hours by 30 minutes or
accumulate the time to take full days off. These options depend on the provisions of the applicable collective agreement or employment contract. The father may also use this time reduction if both parents are employed
- In cases of premature birth or neonatal hospitalization, the mother or father (but not both) has the right to one hour of break per day and a reduction of working hours by up to two hours per day.
Care Leave
- Employees are entitled to care leave to look after seriously ill or dependent relatives (such as partners, children, or parents). The length of this leave varies from short-term (a few days, fully paid by the employer) to long-term leave (up to two years, which is generally unpaid).
- Employees retain the right to return to their position and are protected from dismissal during this leave.
Other types of leave
Employees also have the right to the following forms of leave:
- Fifteen calendar days for their marriage.
- Two days due to the death, accident, severe illness, hospitalization, or outpatient surgery of a close family member (parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, and aunts). This leave may be extended to four days if significant travel is required.
- One day for the employee’s relocation.
- The necessary time to fulfill an official obligation.
- The time needed for activities as a union or employee representative.
Thank you for your interest in this Guide!
Would you like to optimally organize HR and payroll administration in Spain? Then ask our specialists for advice. We are happy to think along with you about Spanish laws and regulations and smart automation solutions in the
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Disclaimer
This whitepaper was compiled by our specialists in 2024. Please be aware that labor laws may change. No rights can be derived from this paper.