Female employees are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave, paid at 100% of the regulatory base through the Social Security system.

The first 6 weeks after birth are mandatory and uninterrupted. The remaining 10 weeks can be taken continuously or in weekly periods within the first 12 months following the birth.

Since January 2021, fathers are entitled to 16 weeks of paternity leave, equal to maternity leave. This is paid at 100% of the regulatory base through the Social Security system.

The first 6 weeks must be taken immediately after birth and are mandatory and uninterrupted. The remaining 10 weeks can be taken in weekly periods within the first 12 months.

Spain's sick leave system provides the following compensation structure:

• Days 1-3: Unpaid (no compensation)
• Days 4-20: 60% of the regulatory base, paid by the employer
• Day 21 onwards: 75% of the regulatory base, paid by Social Security

A medical certificate is required from the first day of absence. The maximum duration of sick leave is 365 days, extendable by an additional 180 days if recovery is expected.

Employees are entitled to bereavement leave as follows:

• 2 days for the death of a spouse, child, parent, or close relative
• 4 days if travel to another province is required

There is no at-will termination in Spain. Employers must have either an objective or disciplinary cause to terminate employment. Spanish labor law provides strong employee protections, and wrongful dismissals carry significant financial consequences.

Valid grounds for termination include:

• Objective causes: economic, technical, organizational, or production-related reasons
• Disciplinary causes: repeated unjustified absences, insubordination, breach of contractual good faith, decreased productivity, habitual intoxication
• Collective redundancy (ERE) for large-scale workforce reductions

For objective dismissals, the employer must provide 15 days of written notice. Failure to provide notice requires payment in lieu of the notice period.

• Objective dismissal: 15 days notice
• Disciplinary dismissal: No notice period required
• Employee resignation: As stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement (typically 15 days)

Severance pay in Spain depends on the type of dismissal:

• Objective dismissal (procedente): 20 days' salary per year of service, up to a maximum of 12 months' pay
• Unfair dismissal (improcedente): 33 days' salary per year of service, up to a maximum of 24 months' pay

For contracts signed before February 12, 2012, unfair dismissal severance is calculated at 45 days per year for the period prior to that date (capped at 42 months) and 33 days per year for the period after.

Employees are entitled to a minimum of 22 working days (equivalent to 30 calendar days) of paid annual leave per year. This entitlement cannot be replaced by financial compensation except upon termination of the employment relationship.

Leave is typically taken during the summer months, though the specific timing is agreed between the employer and employee. Collective bargaining agreements may establish additional leave entitlements.

Spain observes 14 official public holidays annually. These include national holidays set by the central government and regional holidays established by each autonomous community.

National public holidays include:

• New Year's Day (January 1)
• Epiphany (January 6)
• Good Friday (varies)
• Labour Day (May 1)
• Assumption of Mary (August 15)
• National Day of Spain (October 12)
• All Saints' Day (November 1)
• Constitution Day (December 6)
• Immaculate Conception (December 8)
• Christmas Day (December 25)
• Plus regional and local holidays to total 14 days

The onboarding process is typically completed within 2-5 business days following client execution of the Statement of Work.

Salaries in Spain are typically paid on a monthly basis. It is common practice for employees to receive 14 payments per year rather than 12, with the additional payments (known as "pagas extraordinarias") typically disbursed in June and December.

The 13th and 14th month payments are standard in most employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements. Some companies opt to prorate these extra payments across the 12 monthly pay periods.

Written employment contracts are required in Spain and must be drafted in Spanish. Contracts can be either fixed-term or indefinite-term, though Spanish law strongly favors indefinite contracts.

Essential contract elements include:

• Employee and employer identification
• Commencement date
• Job title and description
• Compensation and benefits (including number of annual payments)
• Working hours and schedule
• Duration (for fixed-term contracts)
• Applicable collective bargaining agreement
• Termination provisions

Contracts must be registered with the Public Employment Service (SEPE) within 10 days of commencement. Fixed-term contracts are limited in duration and must have a justified cause under the 2022 labor reform.

Probation periods in Spain vary based on the employee's qualification level:

• General employees: Maximum 2 months
• Qualified technicians (titulados): Maximum 6 months

During the probation period, either party may terminate the employment relationship without providing a specific reason and without notice or severance pay. The probation period must be agreed upon in writing in the employment contract.