The social security changes that affect part-time workers in Spain
On October 1st 2023, the Spanish government will implement new conditions which will affect the social security benefits and pensions of part-time employees in the country.
Royal Decree 2/2023, set to come into force in a week, will affect the social security contributions of 2 million people in Spain who have trabajo a tiempo parcial (part-time work), the vast majority of whom are women.
From October 1st, a part-time workday will equate to the same amount as a full-time workday, in terms of the total number of days/months/years Spaniards have to work before being able to claim a pension or access certain welfare benefits such as temporary incapacity or care of a family member.
Currently, workers in Spain have to work 13,595 days to access a full pension when they retire at 65 years of age, 37 and a half years of trabajo cotizado (contributed work).
To get the minimum pension after 15 years of work, the minimum number of days worked is 5,745.
READ MORE: How many years do I have to work in Spain to get a pension?
Previously, part-time work would not count as a full day but rather a fraction based on the hours worked.
Under the new legislation, one day of part-time work counts the same as one day of full-time work.
According to the Spanish social security’s website, it doesn’t matter how many hours are worked on a part-time basis on any given day for it to count as one day of work.
The change doesn’t necessarily mean that part-time workers will get the same pension as full-time employees (as this is also determined by gross salary), but it does influence how easily and quickly they can reach 100 percent of the regulatory contributory base to access a full pension.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Spain's new pension reform
The measure represents another step forward for Spain’s Socialist-led government in its attempts to close the pay and work rights gap between women and men, as women are far more likely to work part-time in Spain in order to be able to take care of their children.
New leaves of absence schemes to care for family members were also recently introduced, new mothers can now get €100 a month to help with childcare costs, and Spain introduced the EU’s first paid menstrual leave.
Up to 57 percent of new contracts signed in August 2023 in Spain were for part-time work.
Comments
See Also
Royal Decree 2/2023, set to come into force in a week, will affect the social security contributions of 2 million people in Spain who have trabajo a tiempo parcial (part-time work), the vast majority of whom are women.
From October 1st, a part-time workday will equate to the same amount as a full-time workday, in terms of the total number of days/months/years Spaniards have to work before being able to claim a pension or access certain welfare benefits such as temporary incapacity or care of a family member.
Currently, workers in Spain have to work 13,595 days to access a full pension when they retire at 65 years of age, 37 and a half years of trabajo cotizado (contributed work).
To get the minimum pension after 15 years of work, the minimum number of days worked is 5,745.
READ MORE: How many years do I have to work in Spain to get a pension?
Previously, part-time work would not count as a full day but rather a fraction based on the hours worked.
Under the new legislation, one day of part-time work counts the same as one day of full-time work.
According to the Spanish social security’s website, it doesn’t matter how many hours are worked on a part-time basis on any given day for it to count as one day of work.
The change doesn’t necessarily mean that part-time workers will get the same pension as full-time employees (as this is also determined by gross salary), but it does influence how easily and quickly they can reach 100 percent of the regulatory contributory base to access a full pension.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Spain's new pension reform
The measure represents another step forward for Spain’s Socialist-led government in its attempts to close the pay and work rights gap between women and men, as women are far more likely to work part-time in Spain in order to be able to take care of their children.
New leaves of absence schemes to care for family members were also recently introduced, new mothers can now get €100 a month to help with childcare costs, and Spain introduced the EU’s first paid menstrual leave.
Up to 57 percent of new contracts signed in August 2023 in Spain were for part-time work.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.