Short-time work and digital disconnection: what companies will have to prepare if the law is approved

The Government has given the green light to the bill that shortens the maximum weekly working time to 37.5 hours without loss of salary. But the text does not stop there: it toughens penalties, requires digital records and reinforces the right to disconnect from work.

The bill for the reduction of the maximum duration of the ordinary working day and the guarantee of the registration of working hours and the right to disconnection was approved by the Council of Ministers on May 6, 2025. It is currently in parliamentary processing and has been published in the Official Gazette of the Cortes Generales, Series A, number 58-1 , dated May 16, 2025.

Article 34 of the Workers’ Statute (ET) is about to undergo one of the most significant reforms of recent decades. If Parliament approves the text in its current terms, the maximum ordinary working day will go from 40 to 37.5 hours per week on an annual basis, without any impact on salary . This transformation is not only born from the desire to modernize the legal framework, but also from a growing awareness of mental health, family reconciliation and sustainable lifestyles.

Digital day registration

The future wording of article 34 bis of the ET imposes an inescapable obligation: the workday record must be digital, objective, reliable and remotely accessible to the Labor Inspectorate. No more handwritten sheets or rudimentary systems: the standard requires traceability, four-year retention and legible and complete data.

Furthermore, the company that does not have this system or manipulates it will face a direct consequence: the hours claimed by the worker will be presumed to be true. This reversal of the burden of proof turns the register into an element of protection, but also of high risk if it is not managed rigorously. The system must be fully operational six months after the entry into force of the standard, except for the sections on interoperability, which will depend on regulatory development.

Right to disconnect

Article 20 bis of the ET and article 18 of Law 10/2021 on remote work are forcefully rewritten: the right to disconnect does not admit waivers or reprisals. Not answering emails outside of working hours can no longer be considered a breach or a reason for a sanction. And not only is the right affirmed, but it is also invited to be implemented through collective bargaining, allowing exceptions only in justified, proportional and exceptional cases.

This right transcends teleworking. It forces companies to rethink their communication dynamics, their implicit expectations and their organizational culture.

Part-time contracts

As part of the reform, article 12 of the ET is also being revised. Part-time contracts will no longer be governed by specific time control: they will be integrated into the general regime. But the biggest change comes with those that exceed 37.5 hours per week: they will automatically be transformed into full-time contracts.

In addition, the partiality coefficients are redefined and proportional remuneration is adjusted, in order to prevent part-time contracts from being used as a covert route for poorly paid full-time work.

Sanctions

The Law on Infractions and Sanctions in the Social Order is being tightened on several fronts. Failure to comply with the new framework (whether due to excessive working hours or inadequate registration) will be considered a serious infraction. But the most relevant thing is that the infraction will be calculated for each affected worker, substantially increasing the economic exposure. Fines may reach 10,000 euros per worker.

The message is clear: working time is respected not only as a labor right, but as a business obligation with direct economic consequences.

Family home service

Royal Decree 1620/2011, which regulates the employment relationship of family home service, also adapts to the new working day and time registration. A specific regime is foreseen, more flexible and adapted to the particularities of the employing household, but not exempt from compliance.

Domestic workers, often little visible, will see their right to rest and limited working hours strengthened, in line with the rest of the labor market.

Entry into force

The law will enter into force the day after its publication in the BOE, but contains clear transitional deadlines:

• Digital time registration: mandatory after six months.
• Collective agreements with higher working days: adaptation before 12/31/2025.
• Negotiation for companies without an agreement: also before 12/31/2025.
• Part-time contracts with more than 37.5 hours: automatic conversion to full-time.
• Previous time registration: applicable during the first six months.

According to members of the government, the working day is no longer just a weekly number: it is a reflection of social values, the balance between productivity and well-being, and the type of labor relations we want to promote. This bill, still in the parliamentary phase and which may undergo some changes, represents a turn of the helm that requires preparation, documentary review and, above all, a new attitude towards the time of others.