Employee working time records
According to Spanish, employers must make records of employees’ time on duty.
The law states that the recording of time should distinguish between the number of hours worked by each worker for each day. Companies are required to record exactly what time each employee starts and what time they finish work each day. The law does not specify how to keep records, so everyone is free to choose how to keep records. If you have fewer workers, you can take a book or create a table or excel file in your computer.
This rule is intented to protect the rights of employees and avoid unpaid overtime. The law does not prohibit overtime working, it just makes the boss record the number of hours worked and if you do work overtime, you need to pay the employee the appropriate percentage of salary.
If a company violates the law by not recording the number of hours worked by its workers, then it will be fined between 626€ and 6.250€.
Do self-employed also need to record workers’ hours?
Yes. The law requires employers, whether they are companies or self-employed, to register the hours worked by their employees, regardless of the number of employees. Even if an employer employs only one worker, he or she still needs to register. Of course, it is much easier to register with fewer workers.
How long should records be kept?
Records of hours worked are to be kept for 4 years.
