Overtime, shifts, contracts… The doubts that plague companies about the reduction of working hours | El Economista

Labour relations departments will face challenges in adapting to these new regulations. Borja González Elejabarrieta, labour counsel at the firm, discusses the concerns among his clients about the possible approval of the reduced working hours regulation in Spain in this article in El Economista. Although for now he avoids talking about a “flood” of consultations, given that there is not even “a regulation approved and published in the BOE”. The reform also implies a tougher control of overtime and the associated penalties. Therefore, companies will need to reinforce the control of working time and adapt records to each job in order to comply with current labour regulations.

The labour reform that aims to reduce the working week from 40 to 38.5 hours per week this year, and to 37.5 hours from 1 January 2025, is in a final stage with some uncertainties. In this process, companies are preparing for the changes ahead, which could make for a difficult summer, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The withdrawal of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) and the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Cepyme) from the negotiations is due to political rigidity around reaching 37.5 hours by 2025.

Companies are preparing to adapt to this new working time, although it should be noted that an official regulation has not yet been published. In this context, companies are also considering possible changes in annual overtime due to this new regulation, which will lead to higher costs, especially for SMEs. Consultations focus on adjusting working shifts to comply with the new requirements.