Easily manage employment in Spain

All full-time workers are legally entitled to 23 days paid holiday leave a year. In addition, full-time workers have 14 paid public holidays a year.

Maternity leave is 19 weeks for Spanish employees per parent, with full salary covered by Social Security. The first 6 weeks are mandatory and must be taken immediately after birth or adoption, followed by 11 flexible weeks that can be used during the child’s first year. The final 2 weeks can be used at any point until the child turns 8, giving parents more flexibility to manage their family time. These two weeks can also be applied retroactively to children born or adopted from August 2, 2024 onwards.

In Spain, paternity leave provides up to 16 weeks of paid leave for employed and Social Security-registered parents following childbirth, adoption, or fostering, with specific contribution requirements based on age. The leave includes a mandatory 6-week period immediately after birth and flexible options for the remaining 10 weeks, with possible extensions for multiple births, disability, or extended newborn hospitalization.

Parents can take an additional breastfeeding leave after parental leave. This breastfeeding leave can be enjoyed in two ways: - take one hour off during the day, until the child is nine months old (it can either be one hour, or half an hour at the beginning and at the end of the working day) - take 15 consecutive natural days after the parental leave The breastfeeding leave is considered as working time, meaning that the employee doesn't receive anything from Social Security and is paid by the company at 100%.

- Adoption: upon adoption of a child or have taken in a foster child, employees are entitled to the same entitles apply as for maternity and paternity rights. Applies to both parents. - Emergency and short absence leave: intended for unforeseen personal circumstances for which an employee has to take time off immediately. Examples include making arrangements for the care of a sick family member or in the event of a death in the family. Up to four days per year if travel is required. - Time off work for public duties: intended for allowing employees to fulfill certain public duties related to roles such as local councillors, school governors, trade union member, etc. - Long-term care leave: when a child, partner or parent of the employee is seriously (i.e. life threateningly) ill and requires care, the employee can request long-term care leave. - Unpaid leave: the employee may take unpaid leave in consultation with the employer on a full-time or part-time basis. Granted at the discretion of the employer, but must always be set in an individual or collective agreement. Unpaid leave periods are not regulated by law.