On February 5, 2025, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Bill for the reduction of working hours, which still needs to go through parliamentary processing. This text proposes a series of measures that, if approved, will modify working conditions in Spain, especially regarding working hours, digital disconnection, and time tracking.
One of the main innovations is that the working week will be reduced to 37.5 hours on an annual basis, which means a decrease in weekly working hours without affecting workers’ salaries.
The draft bill also extends the right to digital disconnection, allowing workers not to receive communications outside their working hours. Companies must ensure that there are no reprisals for not responding to emails or calls outside working hours and must protect employees’ personal time.
It also introduces the obligation to establish a digital working hours register, accessible to both workers, their legal representatives, and the Labor Inspection. This register must be immediate and available for remote consultation without violating employees’ privacy. In case of non-compliance, companies could face financial penalties of up to 10,000 euros per affected worker.
Finally, Collective Agreements will have until December 31, 2025, to adapt to the new provisions. This will allow companies and unions to make the necessary adjustments to comply with the new regulations.
Although the Economic and Social Council has supported the draft bill, with 57 votes in favor and 2 against, it has also pointed out that the Government has not adequately justified the need for the law, suggesting a lack of sufficient grounding on the social and economic benefits of reducing working hours.
It is essential to implement monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that the reduction in working hours does not affect work quality or company competitiveness. Only in this way can it be guaranteed tha jt the benefits of this law are real and sustainable for all parties involved.
Javier Lara
Head of Labour Compliance
jlf@uhy-fay.com
