Spain 37.5-hour working week reform 2025: what changes, deadlines and penalties
Analysis of the Working Time Reduction Law: reduction from 40 to 37.5 hours/week, collective bargaining adaptation deadlines, enhanced time registration and LISOS penalties.
# Spain's 37.5-Hour Working Week Reform 2025
The change
Spain's Working Time Reduction Law amends Art. 34 ET: máximum standard working week reduced from 40 to 37.5 hours (annual computation = 1,950 hours/year). First structural reform of the working time ceiling since 1994.
Scope
All employed workers in Spain, except senior management, domestic workers and armed forces.
Adaptation deadlines
- Immediate: Workers with no collective agreement or whose agreement exceeds 37.5h/week
- 12 months: Sectors with existing agreements above 37.5h must renegotiate
- 24 months: Construction, hospitality, international transport
Until the agreement is updated, the 37.5h legal limit prevails.
Salary protection
Salaries cannot be reduced as a result of the reform. Workers retain current monthly pay with fewer hours.
Penalties
Breach: serious infraction (Art. 7.5 LISOS), €625–€6,250 per worker. Falsified time records: very serious infraction up to €187,515.
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