Government minister proposes ten days leave for death of close relatives and 15 for palliative care in Spain
Second deputy PM Yolanda Díaz has also proposed that workers be able to spread this time off as they wish over a period of four weeks and three months, respectively
Despite the controversy the proposal has caused, second deputy PM of Spain Yolanda Díaz is advancing her goal of extending work leave after the death of a close family member to ten days. In addition, she is proposing a new type of leave for those who have a family member in palliative care.
The Ministry of Labour has sent trade unions and employers' organisations a draft royal decree law that extends the number of paid leave to ten days in the event of the death of a spouse, domestic partner or relatives up to the second degree of kinship of the affected worker; that is, this also includes siblings, grandparents, or grandchildren, although not in the case of in-laws.
In addition, workers are given the right to use these ten "working" days of bereavement leave however they wish, either all at once or spread out, provided they take them within four weeks of the death or from the day they receive the deceased's remains.
Similarly, the draft law also provides two working days of bereavement leave for relatives up to the second degree of affinity, which can be extended by two more days if the worker needs to travel. This means that in the event of the death of a father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, brother- or sister-in-law or the spouse's grandparents, a person would get two paid days off or four if travel is required for the funeral.
Díaz also establishes a new leave of up to 15 working days for caring for a spouse, domestic partner or relatives up to the second degree of kinship who need palliative care. This leave can also be split into two periods at the worker's discretion, within a three-month period starting from the first day the worker begins the leave and ending on the date of death of the person receiving care.
Euthanasia leave
This leave can only be used once for the same person who requires palliative care, without affecting the worker's right to also take leave for hospitalisation or surgery without hospitalisation if the patient is receiving palliative care at home.
In addition, a new paid one-day leave is introduced for workers who need to accompany a relative or even a friend undergoing euthanasia, provided that "the worker has been designated by that person to be with them at that time".
