After nearly a year of negotiations and under the slogan “work less, live better,” on December 20th, the Ministry of Labour and the trade unions CCOO and UGT signed an agreement to reduce the standard workweek to 37.5 hours. The measure must still go through parliamentary procedures and be approved by Congress before it can be implemented, but it seems that the reduced workweek could become a reality by early 2026.
General provisions of the agreement
The main points outlined in the agreement can be summarised as follows:
- Existing collective bargaining agreements will have until 31 December 2025 to adapt to the new workweek.
- The reduction in working hours will not result in a reduction of the employee’s salary, nor will it affect the rights and conditions previously enjoyed.
- The daily time tracking must be carried out through a digital, objective, and reliable system that allows employees to clock in personally using an unambiguous identification method. The system must also provide immediate access to the records—both in person and remotely—for the Labour Inspectorate and the employees’ legal representatives.
- In the event of missing time records or falsified data, each affected employee will be considered a separate violation, with penalties that can reach up to €10,000.
- Part-time contracts with a workweek equal to or greater than 37.5 hours will be automatically converted into full-time contracts.
- Employees have the non-waivable right to digital disconnection after working hours: not responding to company communications or requests outside of working hours shall not result in any negative consequences for the employee.
How to implement the 37.5-hour workweek
One of the main criticisms of the measure is the difficulty of implementing it, especially in sectors that require constant coverage or are demand-driven, such as hospitality, industry, or agriculture. While awaiting the official regulations, several options can be considered:
Offering overtime hours
Absorbing the reduction in working hours through the use of overtime can be an option, provided it complies with the provisions of the Workers’ Statute. However, this measure would entail an additional cost for the company.
Increasing hiring levels
Hiring additional staff as support to cover the full schedule is also a solution, although it also leads to higher labour costs.
Adjusting the distribution of working hours
The new workweek refers to an average of 37.5 effective working hours per week over the course of a year, which allows for different strategies depending on the company’s needs. For example, daily working hours can be reduced proportionally, hours can be increased or decreased based on demand, or shorter workdays can be introduced on certain days.
Investing in technology
In addition to the requirement to have digital time tracking systems as established in the agreement, companies can benefit from other tools that optimise time and increase productivity, such as shift schedulers or task management software, among others.
Grupo SPEC’s solutions will help your company adapt to the new workweek with ease. If you need more information, our customer service team will be happy to assist you with anything you need.
