Annual Leave
In Spain, holidays may be agreed individually or collectively and may not be less than 30 calendar days. Holidays cannot be replaced by financial compensation.
Sick Leave
Employees are entitled to sick pay if they have worked in Spain for more than 180 days within the five years prior to illness. During the sickness absence, employees must obtain a medical certificate and are entitled to receive a public social security benefit as follows:
- Days 1-3: Unpaid (no benefit is paid for the first three days).
- Days 4-20: Paid at 60% of the employee's salary.
- Days 21 onwards: Paid at 75% of the employee's salary.
During the sickness absence, the employment contract is suspended. Typically, employers have no statutory obligation to pay employees who are absent due to sickness. But some collective agreements require employers to top up the state sickness benefit.
Parental Leave
Employees can take a maximum of 16 weeks’ maternity leave. At least six weeks must be taken immediately after the birth. Social security pays employees while they are on maternity leave.
The father of a newborn child can take up to 16 weeks of paid absence in the first year of the child’s life. An employee on paternity leave in Spain is paid 100% of their salary as long as they have made the appropriate contributions to the social security agency.
