If you work in Spain you will enjoy a strict protection of your rights, all your rights are detailed in your contract. You should therefore make sure you are provided with a legal contract (in fact it is illegal to work without one, and those caught doing so will be deported back to their home country). Work contracts will be provided in Spanish and it is advisable to have it translated. The two main contracts are an Indefinite term contract or a Fixed term contract.

Generally most work contracts are different because it depends on the type of work you are carrying out for each individual company. Most contracts allow for a siesta period between 14:00 and 17:00 in the afternoon. For office workers mainly one year contracts are provided with 14 or 15 monthly payments including extra pay at Easter and Christmas. Standard practice is to give an extra vacaction payment in August.

At the termination of a contract, depending upon the length of employment, employees may generally be granted a severance payment, which is related to the length of employment and wage. Should you be unhappy and feel that your contract has been wrongfully terminated, you are entitled to present a demand for conciliation within 20 days. The outcome is reliant on the agreement between the parties. If no agreement is reached, you may place a suit before the Labour Court (Juzgado de lo Social) within 20 days. If the court finds in your favour, you will receive 45 days compensation for every year of your employment. If you remain unsatisfied, you have five days to file for recourse.

Cost of living and quality of life

You have to bear in mind that wages tend to be lower in Spain but the living costs are relative to what you earn, when compared to the UK where living costs and the standard of living is considerably higher.

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About the Author Simone Icough is with Ambient Jobs which provides recruitment services in Spain and Gibraltar. Their consultants have experience in multiple market sectors, including Administrative & Secretarial, Construction & Engineering, Sales & Marketing, Technology, Accounting, Banking & Finance, Real Estate, Financial Services and Online Gaming.

First Published: Jan 12, 2008