Díaz announces the extension of death leave to 10 days

MadridSecond Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, has announced the extension of bereavement leave to 10 days, as well as the creation of a new leave for palliative care. "No one can go to work two days after the death of a father, mother, son, daughter, or friend," Díaz said this Thursday during a news breakfast organized by Europa Press. in Madrid.

At the moment, the fine print of these changes is unknown. The Ministry of Labor hopes to present a regulation "soon" that includes the extension of bereavement leave to 10 days and the new leave for accompanying a person during palliative care. Labor sources assure that in both cases these would be paid leave, but in the case of palliative care leave, they do not specify how many days it will be. "Work is underway," the same sources indicate. The measure requires modifying the Workers' Statute and, therefore, must be approved via royal decree law and then voted on in the Congress of Deputies, where each vote is marked by the balance between the Spanish government and its investiture partners.

"One of the problems in Spain regarding productivity is the obligation to work under conditions of stress or bereavement, a situation that directly affects the mental health of workers," Díaz emphasized this Thursday.

Currently, the Workers' Statute provides for a two-day bereavement leave, extendable to four days if the worker is forced to travel, due to the death of a relative up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity. This year, The hospitalization permit for up to five days has come into force, but the death leave policy was not modified. In this case, the worker may request up to five paid days for each illness or hospitalization of a relative up to the second degree or cohabitant.

The CEOE sees electioneering, and the unions applaud it.

"We don't know anything [...] he's doing it because it seems to be good for his electoral campaign," said the president of the CEOE employers' association, Antonio Garamendi, after learning of the announcement of the new permits. Speaking to the media from Toledo, Garamendi saw Díaz's proposal as a "disregard" for social dialogue and believes that "this is not the way [to announce labor changes]." "Will we be receptive [to the proposal]? We'll see what kind of paper he sends us," warned Garamendi.

CCOO and UGT also expressed the opinion that such a proposal should have been addressed within the framework of social dialogue. However, unlike Garamendi, both unions embraced the announcement: "It's going in the right direction. Spain was at the bottom of the ladder in terms of protection [for workers] with death leave," said CCOO leader Unai Sordo this Thursday.

The "problem" of absenteeism at work

"Anyone who buries a mother or doesn't go to work because they have to care for their child is not an absentee worker," Díaz stated. Business organizations have long warned of the "problem" of absenteeism in the Spanish state and called for action to reduce it. In fact, it was an issue that the Ministry of Labor raised in the framework of the negotiations to reduce the working week to 37.5 hours a week to satisfy groups like Junts. Díaz even suggested that there was "room" in the text to add "corrections" aimed at this issue.

This Thursday, the Minister of Labor defended workers who don't go to work for reasons such as death and affirmed that we need to talk about "real" absenteeism. "Real absenteeism is clearly a problem in Spain," she acknowledged.

Reform dismissal

Finally, Díaz announced that on October 20th, she will convene social partners, major unions, and employers' organizations to begin negotiating a reform of dismissals in the Spanish state. This social dialogue table will run in parallel with the minimum wage (SMI). The Ministry of Labor wants to approve a new minimum wage increase for 2026, and Díaz already stated this Thursday that she prefers an agreement with the Spanish employers' association CEOE and a lower increase, "and not a higher [SMI] increase, but without an agreement."