The reduction of working hours in Spain is an imminent reality that paints a new picture for companies and workers.

• The new working day will benefit more than 12 million private sector workers in Spain.
• Human Resources managers and departments must understand the implications of this measure.

The reduction of working hours in Spain It will transform the country's business and employment landscape by 2025. The government has already approved lowering it to 37,5 hours per week without salary reduction. But what real consequences will this have for companies and finance departments?

This issue, which has been recurring in public and business debate since 2023, poses a major challenge: adapting operations and financial structures to the regulations, without losing competitiveness.

Context and details of the new work schedule

On February 3, 2025, the Council of Ministers approved the draft bill that reduces the maximum duration of the ordinary working day to an average of 37,5 hours per week, calculated annually, without a salary reduction. It is currently undergoing parliamentary review. sIt will be implemented gradually and is expected to be effective from 1 January 2026.

This measure, the result of negotiations between the government and unions, aims to improve workers' quality of life. Specifically, it promotes a better work-life balance.

What are the consequences for businesses?

• Work expensesMaintaining current salaries while reducing hours could increase the cost per hour of labor. HR departments, together with management, should assess how to absorb the potential increase without compromising profitability.
• ProductivityIt is essential to design and follow strategies that promote productivity with fewer working hours.
• Collective bargainingCompanies will have to review and renegotiate collective agreements to adapt them to the new regulations.

In fact, an example of these complexities can be found in the ceramics sector in the Valencian Community. There, negotiations for the new collective agreement have stalled due to disagreements over reducing working hours.

Furthermore, as labor lawyer Joaquín Castiella points out, The recording of working hours will be accessible in real time to internal managers, authorities, and labor representatives.

Strategies for an effective transition

To adapt to this new work schedule and its possible consequencesHuman Resources departments can lead the implementation of strategies such as:

1. invest in technologyImplement digital solutions that improve processes and increase efficiency. Solutions such as Sage HR For timekeeping, they facilitate the legal registration and management of working hours.
2. Labor flexibilityAdopting hybrid or flexible work models that allow employees to better manage their time. This can translate into greater satisfaction and productivity.
3. Formation and developmentTo train workers in new skills and work methodologies that will allow them to be more efficient in less time.
4. Process review: analyze and restructure internal processes to eliminate redundancies and optimize workflows.

Do you want to learn more about the advancements in the new working day?

We invite you to access a exclusive interview that Álvaro Galán Ocampo, Growth PMM Leader HR&Payroll at Sage in Iberia, made to the labor lawyer Joaquín Castiella, Managing Partner of the Lexa Group.

final recommendations

La 37 and a half hour work week It's not a threat. but an ideal opportunity to reinvent the way work is done in your organization.

• It begins with an internal diagnosis. on the efficiency of current processes.
• Maintain transparent communication with the HR team and with the employees. since they will play a very important role in the success of this process.

Each company will need to adapt its pace. But remember that those who get ahead with planning, cost analysis, technological investment and strategic vision they will have an advantage. Don't wait for the regulations to come into force to react.

The new work schedule is already shaping the future of work. And it will do so even more in 2026, when it is fully implemented. As a Human Resources professional, you have the power to turn this challenge into a catalyst for transformation. Listen, analyze, and act with a sustainable perspective.