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Recent years have seen Spanish labour relations tend towards a more flexible and dynamic model than that which has traditionally prevailed in the workplace.
Both the labour market and employment regulations encourage a more orderly procedure.
In addition to protecting workers, the mandatory application as of December 14, 2003 of the Law on the Prevention of Occupational Risks is also aimed at protecting the working environment and facilitating the entrepreneurial skills of businesspeople.
The 2010 labour reform was aimed at simultaneously promoting stable labour contracts whilst reducing the burden of the same in relation to employers’ interests. Temporary employment contracts tend to be employed to cover temporary requirements within companies or to increase workforces in moments of production increases. Such contracting is covered by means of Work and Services Contracts, which are increasingly used to cover their intended aim, that is, to cover specific a requirement for specific work or services as part of a specific project.
There is no doubt that the subsidies on offer for recruitment represent a further incentive for the hiring employer. In this respect, the Valencia Region, one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial Regions within the Spanish State, often takes the lead over other Regions, which on occasion have used Valencia’s advanced employment legislation as a model for the development of their own policies.
Access to the labour market for people with disabilities, reintegration into the labour market and the reconciliation of work and family life is another of the major concerns that has been dealt with in this sphere in recent years. Specific types of contracts, incentives and modifications to working hours are just some of the measures that increase access to the labour market, especially for groups that previously encountered difficulties in this terrain.
The Spanish social security system is one of the most complete, but also one of the most complex, within the European Union. Employers and workers contribute, in the proportions established by Law, to the system, which is responsible for health care and public tax contributions.
Termination of employment contracts relatively simple, aided by the coordination existent between companies, the public employment system and, when necessary, the social and labour courts, which are responsible for handling labour-related claims.
The authorization of work permits for non-EU workers has also been relaxed and regulated. Administrative authorization is required in order to facilitate employment, together with a valid employment contract and the existence of the basic premises applicable to such recruitment. These measures are aimed at eliminating the use of the fraudulent employment agreements that were common until recently in this segment of the market.
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