Parliamentary rejection of the reduction of the standard working hours

On September 10, the Congress of Deputies rejected the bill to reduce the standard working hours from 40 to 37.5 hours per week without a loss of salary. The measure did not pass the preliminary debate, as the amendments presented by PP, Vox, and Junts were supported, which implies the interruption of its parliamentary processing.

The text included, in addition to the reduction of hours, a strengthened system of time control and an increase in the sanctioning regime, with fines of up to 10,000 euros per worker in case of failure to comply with the registration obligations.

For the moment, there will be no changes to the current regulations: the standard working hours remain at 40 hours per week, in accordance with Article 34 of the Workers' Statute.

However, the Government has expressed its intention to resume the measure in future legislative initiatives, keeping the debate on the reduction of working hours and its impact on productivity, work-life balance, and the labour market alive.