Spain may soon move to a shorter week with workers enjoying 2.5 hours more rest after the government on Tuesday approved a bill that would reduce official
working hours
from 40 hours to 37.5 hours.
If enacted, the bill, which will now go through the Spanish parliament, would benefit 12.5 million full-time and part-time private sector workers and is expected to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism, according to the country’s Ministry of Labour.
“Today, we are modernising the world of labour and helping people to be a little happier,” said Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz, who heads the party Sumar that forms part of the current left-wing coalition government.
The measure, which already applies to civil servants and some other sectors, would mainly affect retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction, Díaz added.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government does not have a clear majority in parliament, where the bill must be approved for it to become law.
The main trade unions have expressed support for the proposal, unlike business associations.
Sumar, the far-left minor coalition mate of Sánchez’s Socialist Party, introduced the legislation.
The Catalan nationalist group Junts, which occasionally collaborates with Sánchez’s coalition, voiced worries about adverse effects on smaller businesses and independent workers due to a reduced workweek.
The alliance must weigh the requirements of Junts and other minor parties to ensure the legislation gets approved.
Spain adopted a 40-hour workweek in 1983, down from the previous 48 hours.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts have been made to alter work practices through several trial initiatives implemented in Spain aimed at possibly adopting a
four-day workweek
, including a
smaller trial in Valencia
.
The outcomes of the program, which ran for an entire month, indicated that employees experienced positive changes, including extended weekend breaks, adoption of healthier practices like engaging in physical activities, and a notable decrease in their stress levels.
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