Work culture in industry, construction and trades

Terms used

• Convenio colectivo — The convenio colectivo is the sector or provincial collective agreement that sets hours, holidays and pay for your job.
• Registro de Empresas Acreditadas — The Registro de Empresas Acreditadas is the regional register of companies approved to work as contractors or subcontractors in construction.
• Libro de Subcontratación — The Libro de Subcontratación is the book kept on a building site that records each subcontract.
• Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción — The Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción is a card certifying your risk-prevention training for construction work.
• Fijo discontinuo — A fijo discontinuo contract is a permanent contract for seasonal work, where you are called back each season.
• Reconocimiento médico — The reconocimiento médico is the medical check your employer must offer you for job-related health risks.

Key rules

• Working week: The ordinary week is 40 hours on average over the year, with at least 12 hours between shifts, unless your agreement sets fewer.
• Safety training: Your employer pays for risk-prevention training, and it happens in working hours or is compensated.
• Subcontracting: Construction subcontracting is capped at three levels, with limited exceptions.
• Farm work: Seasonal farm pay and conditions come from the provincial agreement, so check housing and dates before accepting.

Expect an early start

Construction and industrial work starts early, usually around 7:00 to 8:00. There is a breakfast break of about 20 to 30 minutes, and the day ends around 16:00 to 17:00.

In summer many sites switch to a compact day (jornada intensiva), often 7:00 to 15:00, to avoid the midday heat. In extreme heat, stoppage rules can apply.

Factories often run shifts (turnos): morning, afternoon and night.

Your exact hours, holidays and pay come from the sector's convenio colectivo. For construction this is usually a provincial agreement, within a national framework. The legal limit is 40 hours a week on average over the year, with at least 12 hours between shifts, although your convenio may set fewer hours. Ask your employer which convenio applies to you.

Subcontracting chains

Most building sites work through chains of companies. The main contractor (contratista) hires subcontractors, and they can hire others. You may be employed by a company several steps down.

• The chain is limited. A first subcontractor can subcontract to a second, and a second to a third only in specific cases. Beyond the third level it is prohibited, apart from exceptions such as unforeseen circumstances approved by the site manager.
• A subcontractor that only supplies labour cannot subcontract further.
• Companies must be listed in the Registro de Empresas Acreditadas and have a minimum share of permanent workers.
• Each subcontract is recorded in the Libro de Subcontratación kept on site.
• The main contractor is jointly liable, within limits, for unpaid wages and social-security debts of its subcontractors.

The checklist below lists what to ask about your employer's place in the chain.

Risk-prevention training

Your employer must give you enough safety training (prevención de riesgos laborales, or PRL) when you start, when your job changes and when new equipment arrives. It must happen in working hours or be compensated, and the employer pays. You should also be told the specific risks of your site and offered a medical check (reconocimiento médico).

On construction sites, the Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción shows you have completed sector training. It starts with a basic 8-hour course. Further courses depend on your trade and the convenio, up to 20 hours at first level and up to 60 at second level for some trades. Training comes from your employer's prevention service or accredited bodies such as the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción.

Seasonal farm campaigns

Farm work follows the harvests (campañas). Typical periods:

• Strawberries and berries in Huelva: roughly January to June.
• Citrus in Valencia: October to March.
• Fruit in Lleida and Murcia: summer.
• Grapes (vendimia) in La Rioja, Castilla-La Mancha and Catalonia: August to October.
• Olives in Jaén and the rest of Andalucía: November to February.

Contracts are temporary, either fijo discontinuo or fixed-term, under the provincial agricultural agreement. You are enrolled in the farm-workers' social security scheme. Pay follows that agreement and is sometimes per hour or by piecework. Some workers are recruited from their home country, for example Morocco, and non-EU workers need a work authorisation.

The work is hard, outdoors and often hot. Employers often provide shared housing or caravans, but there are shortages and informal settlements, notably in Huelva and Lleida. Ask about housing before you accept.

Checklist

• Ask your employer for risk-prevention training before you start, and again if your job or equipment changes.

• Confirm the training is during paid working hours and that you do not pay for it.

• Apply for the Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción if you will work on a building site, starting with the 8-hour basic course.

• Ask for information on the specific risks of your site.

• Take up the offered medical check (reconocimiento médico).

• Ask who the main contractor is and where your employer sits in the subcontracting chain.

• Ask to see the site's subcontracting book (Libro de Subcontratación), where each subcontract is recorded.

• Check that your employer is registered in the Registro de Empresas Acreditadas, the regional register of approved subcontractors.

What to watch out for

• Early starts: Sites and plants start early, often 7:00 to 8:00, and industrial plants may run morning, afternoon and night shifts. Arriving late is noticed. Check your start time and shift pattern in your contract and the collective agreement before you accept.

• Heat on summer sites: Outdoor work in summer heat is risky, and hours often shift to a 7:00 to 15:00 pattern. Ask about the summer schedule and heat-stoppage rules, and stop work when they apply.

• Working without training: Starting on a site without risk-prevention training puts your safety at risk. Ask for the training and site-risk briefing before you start. Your employer must provide and pay for it.

Frequently asked questions

Can a building site subcontract work to as many companies as it likes?

No, subcontracting on a Spanish building site is limited to about three levels. Beyond the third level it is prohibited, except for specific work or unforeseen circumstances authorised by the site manager.

Who pays for my risk-prevention training on a construction job?

Your employer pays for it, and it must happen during working hours or be compensated as time. In construction you will also usually need the Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción, which starts with an 8-hour basic course. Trade-specific courses add more hours depending on your trade.

Where and when do seasonal farm campaigns happen?

Farm campaigns follow the harvests: strawberries in Huelva from roughly January to June, citrus in Valencia from October to March, and olives in Jaén and Andalucía from November to February. Grapes are picked from August to October in La Rioja, Castilla-La Mancha and Catalonia. Foreign workers need a work authorisation first.

What is a typical working day on a Spanish construction site in summer?

In summer many sites run a jornada intensiva, often 7:00 to 15:00, to avoid midday heat. Work stops in extreme heat under the heat-stoppage rules. Your exact hours are set by the provincial collective agreement.