Spain - living and working conditions
1. How to find a job
Remember that to work in Spain you must speak Spanish. Apart from the EURES network, the main search systems are:
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES. The Spanish State employment service (INEM) and the employment services run by the Autonomous Communities have a network of employment offices which offer their services to all those seeking work.
People over 16 years of age can register with the public employment services on presentation of a current identity document or passport, provided they have an address. To enter an occupation requiring a specific qualification, evidence must be provided that the requirements regarding access to that occupation in Spain are met.
Addresses of Employment Offices can be found in the Telephone Directory or on the INEM website, which has links to all the public employment services run by the Autonomous Communities. Some of their websites provide information on job vacancies. Many of them have useful information and addresses for finding work and guides to job-seeking.
PLACEMENT AGENCIES, RECRUITMENT COMPANIES AND TEMPORARY WORK AGENCIES. Placement agencies are another form of middleman on the Spanish job market. They are licensed by the employment authorities. These agencies may not be free, but they only ask for payment of expenses. There are other specialist personnel recruitment firms, which usually use the press and the Internet to find suitable candidates.
Temporary employment agencies are always identified by the initials ETT. They hire workers as employees with themselves and they are especially useful when you are seeking temporary jobs.
THE MEDIA All Spanish national, regional and provincial newspapers have a daily section of job vacancies, although most job vacancies are published in the Sunday papers. Public TV broadcasting corporations also have specific job programmes. One example is the programme ‘Aquí hay trabajo’ (job finder), which is broadcast from Monday to Friday at 9 am on Channel 2 (RTVE).
More and more companies are turning to the Internet to publicise their employment vacancies. Companies publicise themselves by setting up websites, which may have a Human Resources section. Look on their websites for a link entitled ‘trabaja con nosotros’ (work for us) or ‘empleo’ (recruitment). There are also specific employment websites.
NETWORKING. Networking is very useful when looking for work. If you have friends or family in Spain, it is a good idea to mention that you are looking for work since many vacancies are filled by means of this type of contact and reference.
CIVIL SERVICE If your aim is to work in the Civil Service, you must find out about competitive job opportunities published in the official state bulletins [Boletín Oficial del Estado] of the autonomous regions and provinces. You can also obtain information on competitive examinations from the Spanish government website.
2. How to apply for a job
CURRICULUM VITAE
While some companies provide an application form, it is more common practice to submit a CV and a covering letter. This may be done when replying to a vacancy notice or press advertisement and also when submitting a spontaneous application.
Covering letter. More than a mere formality, this is how you present yourself to the company and provide them with a first impression. Unless otherwise indicated, both the letter and the CV must be in Spanish and word processed. Use a single sheet of A4 paper. Be concise, using formal language. The letter must be directly related to the post applied for. Avoid standard letters.
Structure:
Upper left hand:Sender’s name, surname, date of birth, address and telephone number. Below, also on the left, write the name of the company and the person to whom it is addressed. Below this, write the place and date of the letter. The job reference is written beneath.
Opening: use expressions such as ‘Muy Señor Mío’ or ‘Estimado Sr./Sra’:
Main text of the letter: You should explain why you are applying for the job and highlight the aspects of your CV that make you particularly suitable for that position.
Signing off: use formal expressions such as: ‘En espera de sus noticias, le saluda atentamente’.
Sign the letter and write your name and surname.
Curriculum Vitae: Although there are no hard and fast rules on how to write your CV, this section includes some advice. It must be structured, clear, concise and written using a word processor. It is best to use no more than two DIN A4 pages. It is not necessary to attach a photograph, although this may be useful for some positions. Only attach qualifications and certificates if requested. These may be brought to the interview. Language: Use plain and simple language, avoid using acronyms and abbreviations.
In the Spanish business world, companies often only contact candidates who have passed the recruitment or selection stage.
Structure:
* Personal Details: name, nationality, full address, telephone number (stating international dialling code), e-mail address, etc.
* Training: Include academic and further training. You should normally include a separate paragraph with details of your knowledge of foreign languages and IT. For academic training, mainly include the qualification or qualifications relating to the job you are applying for, mentioning the awarding body, place of study and date on which you obtained your qualification.
* Experience: this may be listed in chronological or reverse chronological order and also according to professional fields. Give the name of the company, job title, dates and the tasks performed.
* Further details: This is optional and used to provide any information which may prove relevant to the job, for example whether you have a driving licence, are free to travel, etc. References are not normally included although you could use the expression ‘se facilitaran referencias en caso de ser solicitadas’ [references will be provided if called for interview].
Model CVs and advice on how to write your CV are available on most public employment websites in Spain.
The Europass CV is a good alternative to conventional CV models, particularly when you are seeking a job in another European country. It allows the candidate’s personal details, skills and qualifications to be submitted in a standard European format. It is available in 25 European languages.
SELECTION PROCESSES
In Spain, selection processes are normally based on personal interviews and occasionally accompanied by psychometric and/or vocational tests.
Due to the importance of this interview, it is advisable to prepare yourself properly by finding out what the company does and considering the aptitudes and outlooks that will make you a good candidate. The interview may be held with a single interviewer or several interviewers at the same time, depending on the company and the position.
Psychometric and/or vocational tests, if carried out, normally constitute the first part of the selection process, which ends with a personal interview.
3. Registration procedures and residence permits
As a citizen of the European Community, you only need to produce an appropriate identity document or a current passport to enter Spain. You can stay for three months to find a job or find work for yourself. If you have still not found a job after three months, you are entitled to stay for longer if you continue seeking work.
Necessary documents
You do not need a residence card to stay in Spain but, for some employment or tax formalities, you will need to apply for an NIE (Número de identificación de Extranjeros) [Foreigners’ identification number]. Although a European Community worker can start the process of applying for a job without the need to obtain an NIE (register with employment offices, apply for Social Security) it is advisable to obtain the card if you plan to stay in Spain for a long period. This personal number will be your foreign citizen identifier, which must be included on all documents issued or processed. To obtain this document, you must produce the following documents at the Provincial Police Headquarters:
* Standard application form.
* Original and photocopy of identity document or passport.
* Documentation certifying the reasons or requirements for the application.
* Registration certificate (original).
Ask for information from the Spanish consular services in your country.
Registration:
A registration certificate can be obtained from the local Ayuntamiento [Local Council] whenever you need to prove that you live in Spain. For this you will need to show the rental contract for your accommodation, or your electricity or water bill, etc. as proof that you do live there.
If this is the first time you have worked in Spain, you must obtain your own Social Security membership number. You can arrange this yourself or your company can do it on your behalf. You must produce the following at the Social Security office in order to be issued with the card:
* Application form (TA-1)
* Identity document
You will then be given a Tarjeta de la Seguridad Social [Social Security Card], which must be presented at the corresponding health centre in order to be assigned to a doctor and obtain a tarjeta sanitaria [ health certificate].
4. Working time
The organisation of working time (maximum weekly or daily working hours, rest time during the working day, annual holidays, public holidays, paid leave and overtime) is regulated by Law (Statute of Workers’ Rights); the working day is regulated by agreement between workers’ and employers’ organisations or in contracts.
Duration: normal working hours must average 40 hours per week maximum of actual work, calculated on an annual basis.
The actual number of normal working hours may never exceed 9 per day unless a collective agreement or an agreement between the company and workers' representatives establishes a different distribution of daily working time, which must, in any event, respect the rest time between working days.
Employees under 18 years of age may not do more than 8 hours of actual work per day, including hours allotted to training, where applicable, and the hours worked for different employers if they work for more than one employer.
Working hours may be distributed irregularly throughout the year under the terms of a collective agreement or an agreement between the company and the workers’ representatives provided the minimum periods of daily and weekly rest are respected.
Rest time: at least twelve hours must elapse between the end of one working day and the start of the following working day. When the duration of the continuous working day exceeds six hours, a rest period of at least 15 minutes must be allowed during the day.
In the case of workers under 18 years of age, the rest period is a minimum of thirty minutes and must always be allowed when a duration of the continuous working day exceeds four and a half hours.
Workers are entitled to a minimum weekly rest time of one and a half uninterrupted days, which generally include Saturday afternoon or, where applicable, Monday morning, and the whole of Sunday.
The duration of the weekly rest time for people under 18 years of age is a minimum of two uninterrupted days.
Night work and shift work: all aspects of this work pattern are regulated and subject to time restrictions.
Under-18s may not carry out night work (or activities declared to be unhealthy, dangerous or distressing).
Reduction of the working day for family reasons: Women workers are entitled to one hour off work for breast feeding a child under nine month of age.
Workers are entitled to a reduction of at least one third and no more than half of their working time, with a proportional reduction in wages, if they are directly responsible for a child under six years of age, people with disabilities or family members in certain specific circumstances.
Overtime: overtime is considered to be hours of work carried out over and above the maximum number of normal working hours. Workers may work a maximum of 80 hours overtime per year, which does not include overtime compensated with rest time, or work carried out to prevent or repair extraordinary and urgent damage. The latter is obligatory for the worker and must be paid as overtime.
Overtime at night is prohibited, except in duly specified and expressly authorised special activities. It is also prohibited for people under 18 years of age.
Overtime may be remunerated or compensated for with equivalent paid rest time.
Workers may work a maximum of 80 hours overtime per year, which does not include overtime compensated with rest time, or work carried out to prevent or repair extraordinary and urgent damage. The latter is obligatory for the worker and must be paid as overtime.
If the worker works for fewer hours per year than the general company working hours, the restriction on hours is reduced proportionally.
5. Cost of living
In general, the cost of living in Spain is acceptable and there is universal, free access to essential social services such as health and education.
In recent years, the cost of housing has increased significantly, which has meant that housing costs are the most significant household expenditure, amounting to figures in excess of 30% of the total household budget in 2006.
To give you an idea of the general cost of living in Spain, we have selected the prices of some everyday items, the price of which will naturally vary from shop to shop, from region to region and from city to city. These are as follows:
--Loaf of bread: EUR 0.90 – Milk (one litre): EUR 0.70 - A dozen eggs: EUR 1.60 - Kilo of apples: EUR 1.80 - Kilo of tomatoes: EUR 2.5 – Bottle of shampoo: EUR 3 - Deodorant: EUR 2 - Skirt or trousers: EUR 60 - 24 hour flat rate ADSL connection: EUR 39 - National or regional newspaper: EUR 1 – Aspirin: EUR 3.20 – Cinema ticket: EUR 6. – Coffee: EUR 1.10 – Beer: EUR 0.65. – Hamburger: EUR 2.80. - Set menu: EUR 9. Bus/Metro transport cost: One-way ticket: EUR 1. A ten-trip metro and bus ticket costs: EUR 6.40. You can buy a pass that allows you unrestricted travel for one month on the metro, town buses and commuter trains (RENFE), which costs: EUR 40.45 (Madrid prices). Fuel costs: Unleaded petrol 95 (litre): EUR 0.942 - Unleaded petrol 98 (litre): EUR 1.042 - Diesel A (litre): EUR 0.881. A household budget survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics showed that each month Spanish households spend an average of EUR 10.5 on water, EUR 22.41 on electricity, EUR 49 on the telephone and related services and EUR 16 on gas. An invoice is issued for these services every two months.
6. The social security system in this counrtry
The state guarantees the people covered by the Social Security system appropriate protection in situations laid down in the General Law on Social Security.
Two levels of protection are offered:
Contributory scheme: covers people who live or legally reside in Spain, provided they are employed or self-employed within Spain.
Non-contributory scheme: this Social Security system applies to all Spaniards resident within Spain; Latin Americans, Portuguese, Brazilians, Nationals of Andorra and the Philippines and nationals of other countries covered by treaties, bilateral agreements or conventions.
Composition of the Social Security System.
General Scheme.
Special Schemes:
Agriculture.
Seafarers.
Self-Employed Persons.
Domestic Workers.
Coal Minors.
Students (Student Insurance).
Civil Servants.
Anyone who is about to take up work must have a social security number. The Social Security General Treasury will allocate Social Security Numbers to all citizens to identify them in their relationships with the Treasury. A number will also be allocated to the beneficiaries of pensions and other System benefits.
Who should apply:
Employers are obliged to apply for membership of the Social Security System for their workers. When the employer does not comply with the obligation, the worker may apply directly for membership of the system. Self-employed or employed workers are obliged to apply for membership.
Contributions: All workers must contribute to the Social Security System. The company will detract the contribution percentage payable from the worker’s gross salary and the deduction will be shown in the payslip. All workers are entitled to request their ‘Vida Laboral’ [employment record] to check contributions paid to Social Security.
Source: EURES