The Daily Populous Thursday May 8th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by euronews.com and submitted by tryingmybestl0l

Spain may soon move to a shorter week with workers enjoying 2.5 hours more rest after the government on Tuesday approved a bill that would reduce official working hours from 40 hours to 37.5 hours.

If enacted, the bill, which will now go through the Spanish parliament, would benefit 12.5 million full-time and part-time private sector workers and is expected to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism, according to the country's Ministry of Labour.

"Today, we are modernising the world of labour and helping people to be a little happier," said Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz, who heads the party Sumar that forms part of the current left-wing coalition government.

The measure, which already applies to civil servants and some other sectors, would mainly affect retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction, Díaz added.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government does not have a clear majority in parliament, where the bill must be approved for it to become law.

The main trade unions have expressed support for the proposal, unlike business associations.

Sumar, the hard-left minority partner of Sánchez’s Socialist Party, proposed the bill.

The Catalan nationalist party Junts, an occasional ally of Sánchez’s coalition, expressed concern over what it said would be negative consequences for small companies and the self-employed under a shorter working week.

The coalition will have to balance the demands of Junts and other smaller parties to get the bill passed.

Spain has had a 40-hour workweek since 1983, when it was reduced from 48 hours.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been moves to change working habits with various pilot schemes launched in Spain to potentially introduce a four-day workweek, including a smaller trial in Valencia.

The results of the month-long programme suggested that workers had benefited from longer weekends, developing healthier habits such as taking up sports, as well as reducing their stress levels.

Final-Mango-301 on May 7th, 2025 at 22:37 UTC »

Already 38 hours in my country, and it still feels too long.

Let's be honest by the time 4pm rolls around productivity has gone into the toilet and most people are mentally clocked out already, should just send everyone home so they have time to cook a proper dinner.

TokyoMegatronics on May 7th, 2025 at 22:03 UTC »

feels like business have been moving that way naturally in the UK, in the "paid per hour non specialist" jobs i have worked they were all at 40 ish hours pre covid and shortened to 37.5 post covid, some where just shorter and others were the same but now with unpaid breaks and lunches lol

StrangerFew2424 on May 7th, 2025 at 21:54 UTC »

...while Florida passed a bill to allow children to work longer hours.