What’s it like to work in Spain?

Spanish workplaces mix long lunch breaks and late finishes with strong legal protections. Contracts are permanent by default, holidays are generous and pay comes in 14 instalments.

Hours and holiday

These rights come from the Workers’ Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores). Your collective agreement (convenio colectivo: a sector or company agreement between unions and employers) often improves on them, so ask which one applies to you. A bill to cut the maximum to 37.5 hours was rejected by Congress in September 2025, so the legal maximum is still 40.

The working day

• Lunch is usually between 13:00 and 16:00, so a working day with a long lunch break (jornada partida) can finish later than you are used to
• Many employers have a summer timetable (jornada intensiva): a continuous day, often 08:00 to 15:00, in July and August. It is not a legal right: it depends on your agreement or contract
• If a continuous day is longer than 6 hours, you get a break of at least 15 minutes
• Your holiday dates are set by agreement, and you must know them at least 2 months ahead

Pay in 14 instalments

You are entitled to two extra payments a year (pagas extraordinarias), one at Christmas and one in a month set by your agreement, often summer. Salaries are quoted as a gross yearly figure. Some employers spread the extras over 12 months, so check whether your offer says 12 or 14 payments. See Understanding a Spanish job offer.

Contracts and trial periods

Under the Workers’ Statute, an employment contract is presumed to be permanent (indefinido). Fixed-term contracts are only allowed for specific reasons, which must be stated in the contract. A trial period (periodo de prueba) must be agreed in writing. Unless your collective agreement says otherwise, it can last up to:

• 6 months for qualified technical staff (técnicos titulados), usually graduates
• 2 months for other workers (3 months in companies with fewer than 25 staff)
• 1 month on fixed-term contracts of 6 months or less

See Your rights at work for dismissal and notice.

Recording your hours

Every employer must keep a daily record of each worker’s start and finish times, keep it for 4 years and show it to you, your representatives or the labour inspectorate on request. The Government has been preparing a decree to make the record digital and stricter. Check whether it has been published in the BOE

The right to disconnect

Employees have a legal right to digital disconnection outside working time, holidays and leave. Employers must have an internal policy on how it works, including for managers and remote workers. In practice, check your company’s policy and agree expectations on messages and calls with your manager.

Public holidays

There can be up to 14 paid public holidays a year, 2 of them local. The 9 national ones in 2026 are 1 and 6 January, Good Friday (3 April), 1 May, 15 August, 12 October, 1 November, 8 December and Christmas Day. Your region adds others, and your town hall sets 2 local days. See Public holidays in Spain.