Category: Labor law trends

Royal Decree on equal pay for women and men takes effect in Spain with three instruments: job evaluations, pay registers and pay audits
It is a relatively short piece of legislation (11 articles and nine provisions on just six pages) which introduces significant new rules aimed at ensuring pay transparency and equal pay for equal work at companies. Thanks to its short length and, at times, vague wording, it is a law that raises a number of questions […]

Right to a work-life balance vs. the right to rest: which should prevail?
In the event of a conflict between a worker’s right to a work-life balance and the right to rest, which right should prevail? According to the Labor Chamber of the Canary Islands High Court, the right to a work-life balance should always “win” in this conflict, provided that it is evidenced that the timetable chosen […]

Women continue to suffer a gender pay gap even after they stop working
The difference in pay between the genders not only affects women during their working life, but also drags on afterwards, even in retirement. In March 2020, the average public pension benefit for men was €1,332.35 in Spain, versus only €877.39 for women, according to data published in the Secretary of State for Social Security’s digital […]

Equal Pay Day: Steps towards closing the gender gap in Spain
Equal Pay Day is to be held on February 22. Numerous initiatives in Spain and elsewhere contribute to encouraging gender equality at the workplace. Spanish courts have delivered judgments preventing pay discrimination. And on April 14 we will see the entry into force of Spanish legislation requiring greater pay transparency at companies. We examine below […]

Fired for using social media: Where is the red line in Spain?
In an environment where social media is an amplifier of everything anyone does, a question that comes to mind is whether the activities of workers inside or outside the workplace, by posting pictures, videos or comments could be regarded as employee misconduct that is cause for dismissal. At the beginning of 2020, the media reported […]

Spain: The Social Security opens the door to a flat rate for corporate self-employed individuals
Since the entry into force of the Law on Urgent Reforms for Self-employed Individuals, the Social Security has continuously refused access to so-called “corporate self-employed individuals” to a “flat rate”. Three years after the publication of the Law, it now includes them in the scope of application of the benefit, accepting the interpretation of the […]