Spain approves 4 days paid climate leave in wake of deadly flooding

Deadly flooding in Spain last month has had such an impact that it’s now leading to changes in the Spanish workforce. Spain’s Council of Ministers passed a measure on Thursday, Nov. 28, that guarantees four days of paid climate leave for workers in the event of dangerous weather.

The measure is designed to protect commuting workers during natural disasters and extreme weather conditions. The legislation must now be certified within a month by Spain’s lawmakers. Flooding in late October 2024 turned Spanish streets into rivers and killed nearly 230 people.

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Many employers were criticized for requiring employees to continue working despite warnings from the national weather agency.

Restaurant workers were reportedly working through the first few hours of the flooding in Valencia, and hundreds of workers became trapped in business parks. Companies contended that government officials left them with little information on conditions and issued alerts too late.

The new law will “regulate in accordance with the climate emergency” to minimize risks to employees during severe weather. The paid leave would take effect when civil protection agencies advise residents to stay home, and remote work is unavailable during unsafe weather.

The new rule also mandates that companies develop specific risk-prevention procedures for climate emergencies, and inform employees of these measures.

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Officials said employers will face “the full force of the law” if they deny employees their rights. Though specifics on the legal ramification are yet to be known at the time of this report.

Spain’s climate leave reportedly drew inspiration from a similar rule in Canada linked to alerts about natural disasters and life-threatening weather.