Hola,

In general, what is the average amount of time that Spaniards receive off for each year? Is there a standard amount or does it vary with each job as it does here in the states. I am currently working in a civil service job at the University of Minnesota...unfortunately I'm getting laid off...but I will probably stay working in civil service because you get a lot more time off than does the average person working for Corporation X

En general, cuantos dias de vacaciones reciben los espanoles cada ano? Hay una quantidad especifica o lo depende en el tipo de trabajo como en los EEUU. Ahora trabajo en un trabajo de servicio civil en la Universidad de Minnesota....desafortunadamente, mi trabajo va a terminar...pero pienso que voy a continuar trabajar en el servicio civil porque una persona recibe mas dias de vacaciones de que recibe la persona tipica que trabaja para Corporacion X.

Sorry, just wanted to practice writing spanish.

Gracias,

Brien

Hi, Brien, I am sorry to hear you're losing your job here at the U! Best of luck tracking down something wonderful, with lots of vacation time!!!

Tara

Brien,

Here's the info (in Spanglish, since you seem to want to practise....)

In general, we get either 23-24 'días laborables', or 30 'días naturales' off. Plus, there're usually 1-2 days for what's called 'asuntos propios'.

In addition to what PIM posted, there seems to be some sort of Festival or National holiday here every 2-3 weeks!! For example, in Madrid:

National Holidays

Jan 1 Año Nuevo
Mar 29 Good Friday
May 1 Labor Day
August 14 Asunción de la Virgen
Oct 12 National Holiday (Columbus Day for Americans)
Nov 1 All Saints Day
Dec 6 Spanish Constitution Day
Dec 25 Christmas

Elective holidays for Madrid:

Jan 7 Monday after Epiphany
Mar 19 St. Joseph´s Day (also Fathers´ Day)
Mar 20 Holy Thursday

Holidays for the Autonomous Community of Madrid:

May 2 Fiesta de la Comunidad de Madrid

Holidays just for the City of Madrid:
May 15 San Isidro

Whew!! Lots of partying going on here!!

I think a month's vacation is pretty common, not just in Spain but throughout western Europe. One not so pleasant feature: it's not the employee's discretion. Many offices just close their doors for the month of August and everyone gets their vacation at that time.

Thursday and Friday of Semana Santa and the Monday following Easter are holidays for many impresas. It's not unusual for people to take all of Semana Santa off and go to the shore or the mountains.

The legal minimum is I think, 30 days plus 15 for national and local holidays.

Barry, I don't fully agree. From legal perspective, vacation time is specified by convenio (either sector or company) and if I recall correctly, they define a "generation rule" that is every X days worked you earn 1vacation days (working day). In practice most people earn around 22-24 vacation days (to apply to working days only) that makes around a month but if applied skillfully (does this word exist?)you can have a lot more time.

Plus to this time convenios generally state also one or two puentes. Public employees enjoy much, much better conditions that these.

Nevertheless, we need to put that in context. It may seem generous from US perspectives but we need to consider two facts:
- Spanish vacations and conditions are nothing compared to Germany, France or Italy. The have more national holidays and more vacation time allowed.
- Unfortunately, working long hours is the norm specially in some sectors, in IT working days of 10-12 hours a day are just "the way it is". When a country with no resources and no technology is growing faster than its environment there is only one explanation, productivity. Despite the stereotype we work harder and for a lot less money than the other europeans

Thanks for reminding me that I only have 10 days a year

"When a country with no resources and no technology... " Nativo, what do you mean with NO RESOURCES and NO TECHNOLOGY???? I was working in Spain and I don't see the difference between the technology available in Spain and the one available in US and resources are pretty much the same

Nuria - if I may add one more comment to yours - how many Americans work an 8 hour day? Not very many! The 10 hour+ days that Nativo mentioned are common in the US - still without all those wonderful days Chica listed plus August!

By "no technology" I meant technology developed in the country. Unfortunately, using, buying or licensing technology from others don't add up much to the progress of the country. It's our old curse "que inventen otros".

Sorry I forgot, by resources I meant natural resources,Spain has practicaly no petrol or energy sources, metals, minerals, wood, water is scarce.....

It's only a humble opinion but I'd love to agree with you that the situation was similar, but in natural resources there is just no comparison possible. Regarding technology, we have not had the ability to generate the technology, again no comparison. But Spain's situation is not good comparing with other EU countries in basic science, R&D,.....

All those aspects give some economies a competitive edge that our's just doesn't have, and it's compensated in other ways, specially in the balance of the services.

I was only sharing a thought, that is really a common place among the economists here. I never meant the post to be agresive in any way. Sorry I will not do it again.

Hola,

I appreciate all the responses that people have given..that is great when a post generates interest!

Someone wrote that "How many Americans work an 8 hour day?" Since I'm civil service, I work 8-4:30 and even though I"m getting laid off, I intend to stay in this...

Everyone always tells me "you should be a spanish teacher" or a translator.....but for me, I do not believe that working is something that provides a great amount of fulfillment....I would rather have a life outside of work....I do other activities to keep my spanish going like keeping a journal, watching univision, and going to conversation groups.

Anyway, I digress. But while many Americans do work more than 8 hours a day, many do not....Sorry I'm not trying to be critical, just putting out there what I know.

Brien

I am an exception to the rule. I work just 5 hours a day. I teach on the college level and love it. I don't work hard. I hardly work, but I get the job done. I don't let anything in this life stress me and I don't complain about my job. I am on this earth to enjoy life and not let anything grate against my last nerve.

NO MORE DRAMA IN MY LIFE.

Shawn

Although the legal situation in Spain is as the previous posters said, there are, unfortounately, some workers who can't enjoy them. There are a lot of precarious jobs where day make you a 24 hours contract, or a work contract, or they even pass you from one firm to another, but working on the same place, paying you the holidays. As the salary is not big, it's not too much money, but if you want to keep the job, you must do it.

Nativo, I don't think you offended anyone . The beauty of the board is it gives us such a wonderful opportunity to learn others' perceptions and views -it gives us a much greater understanding of eachother, etc.

Brian, I wasn't saying ALL Americans work long hours - just that many do. Honestly - I've found that is mostly because they haven't a clue about how to organize their time & priorities - and/or their job forces them to spend sooooo much time in meetings - they have to work extra hours to get the core job done. Is this - just possibly - gross mismanagement?

Nativo,
Please don't feel you offended me... I was just confused and your explanation made me understand what you meant, and you are right.