Work Schedules and Holidays

Learn about a typical work week, vacation/holiday time and maternity/parental leave policies.

Below is a brief excerpt from this section:  

Hours of Work

Spaniards mainly work a ‘split shift’ (jornada partida) from 9 am until 7:30 pm, with a two and a half-hour lunch break in the middle of the day. However, this schedule may vary depending on the season and the region (with differences mainly between the north and the south of the country, and with slight schedule changes during the winter and summer months). Some international firms and communities are advocating for the country to mirror European working hours (jornada complete) with only a short lunch break.   

Vacation and Leave

Annual leave is negotiated either in one’s employment contract or by a collective bargaining agreement. There is a statutory minimum of 30 calendar days for long-term and indefinite contract employees, and a pro-rated minimum (based on 30 calendar days) for temporary contract employees.

This is just a brief sample of the extensive information in the GoinGlobal Spain Career Guide, which is carefully researched and regularly updated by local career experts.

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