At work in Spain

First of all there’s the work ethic. Spaniards firmly believe that life is for living and not for working so the work ethic isn’t as strong as it is in the UK or US where people’s live revolve around making money (usually for someone else). This doesn’t mean that the Spanish don’t work hard (although if you visit a government office or a post office you might find this difficult to believe). It just means they don’t think you should waste your life working when you could be enjoying time with your family and friends.The good news is that if you’re an EU citizen, you don’t need any sort of permit to get a job, but if you’re from anywhere else, you need a work permit which can be pretty difficult to get. Then everyone needs to sign on with the social security and tax office, although if you work as an employee, your boss should do all this for you.

The paperwork involved if you’re setting up on your job or as a company is massive and enough to put anyone off for life. It’s getting easier – the Spanish authorities have finally cottoned on to just what a nightmare is it – but it still isn’t something to be undertaken lightly and certainly not if you don’t speak Spanish.  If you’re looking for casual work or are starting at the bottom of the ladder, finding a job is pretty straight forward, but as you aspire to more then it’s definitely a case of who you know (and who knows you).  Networking is vital – get out there, make yourself known and follow up your calls.

Unlike some countries like the UK where an employment office helps you find a job, the state employment offices in Spain are often just places where you sign on to say you’re looking for work. They don’t go out of their way to help you find it. So you need to approach a private company – there are several on the Costas – or scour the papers for vacancies. Most jobs on the Costas require at least English and Spanish so it’s a good idea to have your CV in both languages. Get the Spanish section properly translated or if your Spanish is good, get it checked by a Spaniard. One sure way to put an employer off is to have grammatical and spelling mistakes on your CV.  Spanish CVs include a photo – again, get a proper one taken and give those done in passport photo booths a miss. You should tailor the contents of your CV to the job you’re applying for so only include relevant experience and qualifications.

Most Spanish offices work split hours, say 9 to 2 and 4 to 7, although some work straight through from 8 to 3. If you’re working split hours, it’s a long day, but you do get time for a good lunch and a siesta afterwards before tackling an afternoon in the office. People who work straight through like having the afternoon completely free, but on the down side there’s the having to get up early in the morning. Think alarm clock ringing at 6.30, earlier if you have to commute. Usually 30 minutes which is when people usually go out for coffee and breakfast. In some places, especially where civil servants work, the 30 minutes is pretty elastic so this explains why at the town hall the person you want to see is never there from 10 to 11. Usually at the end of the month - weekly or fortnightly payments are unusual. Most employees receive 14 months salary a year - an extra month’s salary is paid in June and December. Great for holidays and Christmas. One month a year plus public holidays. Most people take their holiday as a chunk which is why the country comes to a halt in July and August, but if you’re the new kid in the office don’t expect to get your holidays when you want them. You’ll probably find yourself on holiday in November or February when no one wants to go.

Public holidays are one of the best things about Spain – there are 14 a year and several of them fall conveniently near each other – like the 6th and 8th of December – which means you can do a handy bridge joining the two holidays. In some years, the bridge in December lasts nearly all week. The bad news is that if the public holiday falls on Saturday, it isn’t moved.Yes, contracts are usually pretty fair about time off. There’s statutory leave for things like bereavement of close relatives, getting married or moving house.

You’re also usually entitled to a few days off a year for your own business, like if you need to renew your residence permit or driving licence. There aren’t any official duvet days, but that’s not to say people don’t take them. All this of course depends on your boss and what your contract says.  You can be off for up to three days if you’re ill without a doctor’s certificate, but you have to phone in every day and say you’re not going. After three days, you need to get an official certificate from your doctor saying what’s the matter with you. And most companies have their permanently ill employees who are always off sick, so Spain is just like most countries.Spain isn’t that generous, but you get a better deal than the UK. You’re entitled to 16 weeks on full pay, but if you want to take more time off it’s unpaid and not all companies will keep your job open for you. Dads get quite a good deal – paternity leave is two weeks, but a fortnight hardly encourages you to become a full-time dad.

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