Living and Working in Spain
David Hampshire
Living and Working in Spain, first published in 1995 and now in its 8th edition, is the best-selling and most comprehensive book available about daily life – and is essential reading for newcomers. What's it really like Living and Working in Spain? Not surprisingly, there's a lot more to life than sun, sand, sea and sangría! This book is guaranteed to make your life in Spain easier and more enjoyable, irrespective of whether you’re planning to stay for a few months or indefinitely. Adjusting to day-to day-life in Spain just got a whole lot simpler!
Download the first 25 pages FREE now (including the Table of Contents), and see for yourself the wealth of priceless information this book contains (including finding a job in Spain, Spanish employment conditions, Spanish permits & visas, Spanish immigration and Spanish customs)! It's packed with comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate information, facts and figures, and 'insider’ tips, all written and presented in the ‘easy to read and understand’ style for which Survival Books are famous. Our books will save you weeks or months of research, answer hundreds of questions – including many you hadn’t even thought of – and help you avoid problems and save money!
Click 'BUY' (left) to get up to 42% off and free delivery at Amazon.
Other guides for Spain
Extracts from the book…
Employment Conditions
Employment conditions in Spain are largely dependent on the 1980 Workers’ Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores). Other governing factors include collective agreements (convenios colectivos), an employee’s individual employment contract (contrato de trabajo) and an employer’s in-house regulations. Salaried foreigners are employed under the same conditions as Spanish citizens, although there are different rules for different categories of employee, e.g. directors, managers and factory workers.
As in many countries, part-time, seasonal and temporary workers often aren’t protected by employment laws and have few rights. Consequently, an increasing number of employers are engaging staff on a temporary basis, on short-term contracts, and it’s estimated that over 30 per cent of workers (the highest in the European Union/EU) are in temporary or short-term employment.
There has traditionally been a link between a labour contract and a job for life in Spain. However, the situation has changed dramatically in recent years, during which Spain’s economic problems have been exacerbated by the unions’ uncompromising defence of high wages and rigid employment terms, which has become outdated in today’s increasingly competitive world.
Spain has one of the most rigid and costly labour markets in Europe and critics claim that the requirements of the Workers’ Statute are a major disincentive to investors and employers, and restrict employment due to the high cost of hiring and firing employees. In spite of a historic agreement reached between the employers and unions in 1997, whereby unions reduced their entitlement to redundancy payments in return for permanent jobs, many employers hire most new employees on short-term contracts, rather than permanent ones.
The government provides incentives for employers offering permanent contracts to new employees; for example, employers receive between €500 and €3,200 per employee annually for four years from the government and there are discounts on social security payments. However, in spite of the financial incentives, many employers prefer temporary contracts.
Those fortunate enough to be permanent employees enjoy excellent employment conditions and social security benefits, and extensive rights under Spanish law. The Workers’ Statute details the minimum conditions of employment, including labour contracts, terms of hiring and dismissal, working conditions, employee representation and trade union rights. Spain has a statutory minimum wage and pay and employment conditions in many industries are governed by collective agreements, which are negotiated nationally or regionally for each industry and stipulate the rights and obligations of employees and employers in a particular industry or occupation.
Employees are protected by the Workers’ Statute prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, age, race, language (i.e. between Spain’s various official languages), social status, religious belief, political opinion or trade union membership. Discrimination is also illegal with respect to mental or physical disability, provided a disabled person is able to perform the work required. Children under 16 cannot be employed, and certain restrictions apply to under 18s, e.g. a prohibition on working overtime, night work, and certain dangerous and unhealthy jobs.
Foreigner's Identification Number
All residents and non-resident foreigners with financial affairs in Spain must have a foreigner’s identification number (número de identificación de extranjero/NIE). This is similar to the fiscal number (numero de identificación fiscal/NIF) all Spaniards have (and which is the same as their identity card and passport numbers). An NIE works as identification and, in effect, a tax number. Without an NIE, you won’t be able to purchase property, open a bank account, arrange credit terms or use temporary employment agencies. When you buy a property, you must apply for an NIE, which is required when the property is registered in your name.
Your NIE must be used in all dealings with the Spanish tax authorities, when paying property taxes and in various other transactions. Anyone saving money or assets or receiving credits or loans in Spain must give his NIE to the relevant bank within 30 days of the operation. A bank cannot issue a cheque against a deposit without reporting your NIE and must report to the authorities any activity where an NIE hasn’t been provided. Banks and individuals can be heavily fined for non-compliance with the law regarding identification numbers.
The form for an NIE can be downloaded from the Ministry of Interior website (www.mir.es – go to Información sobre Trámites, then Extranjeros and then Modelos de Solicitud). Applications for an NIE can only be made in person, however, and you should go to a national police station (comisaría) with a foreigners’ department (expect to queue for most of the morning). A representative can apply on your behalf only if you’ve given him a power of attorney made out abroad and translated into Spanish. However, once you’ve applied, anyone can collect the NIE on your behalf. If you have an employment contract or a letter from a Spanish employer or business stating why it requires you to have an NIE, you can obtain a number in around a week. Otherwise, you may have to wait up to three months.
(3 Reviews) - Close
PRICE: £14.95
PUBLICATION: January 2009
EDITION: 8th
PAGES: 376
BINDING: paperback
SIZE: 230mm x 155mm
COLOUR PHOTOS: 150+
