Conciliating Family and Work-Life in Spain

Published by S. Mally, January 2011, Barcelona (Spain)

According to a report published by the Fundación Alternativas, in Spain the lack of occasional permissions for the care of child who got ill is an important gap in Spanish work-family conciliation policies.

In countries such as Austria, Belgium, Germany or Netherlands these paid permissions can reach 12 days per year and can, in some cases, be distributed in hours.

In Spain approximately 36,5% of mothers highlight child illnesses as the main problem for combine work and child care, followed by the lack of coordination between working hours and school timetables (23,6%) and the long duration of school holidays (20,8%).

Currently, this situation is being solved only because one of the parents has more flexible working hours or because there is a good will of the employer or an agreement between employee and boss.

Article 37.3 of the Spanish Workers’ Statute only foresees two days for the birth, dead, serious accident or illness, hospitalization or chirurgical intervention without hospitalization but with home rest of the child for parents. Recently, the Spanish Congress has passed a paid permission for child care in cases of minor children with a serious illness, such as cancer, whish require a long hospitalization period. But there is no regulation for cases of slight or sudden diseases which also require the presence of an adult.

Therefore, if there is no available familiar network and no work flexibility, mothers and fathers end up missing at work without coverage. This generates tensions and often entails labour misdemeanors and sometimes dismissals.

In conclusion, Spain needs a specific permission for these cases.