Asking for days off and flexibility without friction

Key rules

• Vacation calendar: Your company must tell you your vacation dates at least two months before they start.
• Summer requests: Send your summer request in spring, and ask for a few days off one to several weeks ahead.
• Care and hours: You can ask to adapt your hours to care for a child up to 12 years old or another dependant, and the company must answer within 30 days.
• Refusal: If the company refuses, it must give reasons, and you can go to the labour court within 20 working days.
• Convenio: Your convenio may set different deadlines or ways of sharing popular weeks, so read it first.

The short version

Ask early, ask your team before you ask your manager, and make it easy to say yes. Trust counts for a lot, and the law gives you a few firm anchors.

When to ask

For summer, requests are usually collected in spring, often between March and May. For a few days off, ask one to several weeks ahead. Your convenio or company policy may set its own deadlines, so read them first.

Your company has a duty too. It must fix the vacation calendar and let you know your dates at least two months before they start. Statutory annual vacation is at least 30 calendar days, often taken as 22 working days.

How popular weeks are shared

Most teams cannot give everyone August. Ask colleagues how it works before you request anything. Common systems:

• Rotation of the preferred weeks from year to year.
• Seniority.
• Priority for parents of school-age children.
• First come, first served.
• A mix of these, often set by the convenio.

In some sectors the whole company closes in August. Your convenio may also set a different mechanism, so check it.

If you cannot agree on dates, you can take the dispute to the labour court, which has a fast procedure for this.

Make the request easy to accept

• Say which dates you want and offer a second option.
• Explain how your work will be covered while you are away.
• Send it in writing, even if you also talk it over in person.

Asking for flexibility

How managers react varies a lot. Multinationals, tech firms and larger companies tend to be more open. Small firms and customer-facing roles are often less so. In many traditional firms, being seen at your desk and staying late still counts. Your track record and the trust you have built help most.

Present the request as a benefit for the business, and offer a trial period. This is received best.

Your legal right to adapt your hours for care

If you need to care for a child up to 12 years old or another dependant, you have a right to ask for changes to your hours, your organisation of work or remote work. This applies to employees, not the self-employed, and it does not depend on your manager's mood.

• Keep the request reasonable, in proportion to your needs and the company's.
• The company has at most 30 days to negotiate. It then accepts, proposes an alternative or refuses with reasons.
• If it accepts, you can later ask to return to your earlier arrangement.
• If it refuses, ask for the reasons in writing. You can then go to the labour court, and you have 20 working days to do so.

The timeline and checklist below show the steps in order, and the messages below give you wording to send.

Timeline and deadlines

• Send a request to adapt your hours for care, for a child up to 12 years old or another dependant: as soon as you know you need it

• Negotiate with your company, which then accepts, proposes an alternative or refuses with reasons: within 30 days at most after your request

• Go to the labour court if your request is refused: within 20 working days of the refusal

Checklist

• Check your convenio and company policy for deadlines on holiday requests.

• Send your summer holiday request in spring, between March and May.

• Ask your team how preferred weeks are shared, for example by rotation, seniority or first come, first served.

• Ask for the company's reasons if it refuses a request to adapt your hours for care.

Messages for asking for time off or a schedule change

Use tú with colleagues and managers in most companies. Switch to usted only in traditional firms, public bodies or very formal settings. Keep messages short, give the dates, offer to cover your work, and say thanks. Send anything formal by email or through the HR portal so it is on record.

Asking for holiday dates

Your vacation dates must be fixed and made known to you at least two months before they start. For summer, ask early, because many companies collect requests in spring. Check your contract or company policy for its own deadline.

Spanish

Hola [name]:

Quería solicitarte vacaciones del [start date] al [end date]. Si te parece bien, puedo dejar preparado el trabajo pendiente y coordinarme con [colleague] para que todo quede cubierto.

Quedo a tu disposición por si necesitas ajustar algo.

Un saludo, [your name]

English

Hi [name],

I'd like to request vacation from [start date] to [end date]. If that works for you, I can prepare my pending work and coordinate with [colleague] so everything is covered.

Let me know if anything needs adjusting.

Best regards, [your name]

Asking for a few days off

For a few days, a week or several weeks of notice is usual.

Spanish

Buenos días, [name]:

¿Sería posible tomarme [number] días libres el [date(s)]? [Optional reason, e.g. "Tengo que hacer un trámite personal."] Me aseguraré de dejar [task] terminado antes y [colleague] puede cubrirme si hace falta.

Gracias de antemano.

Un saludo, [your name]

English

Good morning, [name],

Would it be possible to take [number] days off on [date(s)]? [Optional reason.] I will make sure [task] is finished beforehand, and [colleague] can cover for me if needed.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards, [your name]

Asking for a schedule change

Managers react best to a request built around the business case, with a trial period. Say how the work will still get done and when you will review it. Openness varies a lot by sector and company size.

Spanish

Hola [name]:

Quería comentarte una propuesta: me gustaría [change, e.g. "empezar a las 8:00 y salir a las 16:00" / "trabajar en remoto los [days]"] a partir del [date]. Con este horario seguiría estando disponible para [meetings/clients/team] y mantendría [key responsibility] al día.

Podríamos probarlo durante [number] semanas y revisar después cómo ha ido. ¿Te parece bien que lo hablemos esta semana?

Gracias, [your name]

English

Hi [name],

I'd like to propose a change: I would like to [change, e.g. "start at 8:00 and leave at 16:00" / "work remotely on [days]"] from [date]. With this schedule I would still be available for [meetings/clients/team] and keep [key responsibility] up to date.

We could try it for [number] weeks and then review how it went. Could we talk about it this week?

Thanks, [your name]

Following up or putting a request on record

Use this if you had a verbal agreement, or if you need a written answer for a leave your contract or the law gives you.

Spanish

Hola [name]:

Te escribo para dejar constancia de lo que hablamos: [short summary, e.g. "mis vacaciones del [start date] al [end date]"]. ¿Podrías confirmarme por correo que está aprobado?

Muchas gracias.

Un saludo, [your name]

English

Hi [name],

I'm writing to put on record what we discussed: [short summary]. Could you confirm by email that it is approved?

Many thanks.

Best regards, [your name]

Frequently asked questions

Can my company make me take holidays in August?

Yes, in some sectors the whole company closes in August, and then your holidays may be set around that closure. Your convenio and the company's yearly calendar decide how this works for you, so check them first.

What can I do if my company and I cannot agree on my holiday dates?

You can take the disagreement to the labour court (jurisdicción social), which has a fast procedure for holiday disputes. Before that, ask how your team decides, for example by rotation, seniority or first come, first served.

What happens if my company refuses my request to adapt my hours?

If your company refuses, it must give reasons linked to objective organisational needs. You can then go to the labour court under the fast work-life balance procedure, and you have 20 working days to do so.

Can I go back to my old schedule after my adapted hours are accepted?

Yes, once an adaptation is accepted, you can ask to return to your earlier arrangement. This right does not cover the self-employed.