Definitive Guide to the 37.5-Hour Workweek and the New Digital Timekeeping System in Spain (2025)

This is the most comprehensive guide for business owners and executives who want to understand and get ahead of the new regulation being processed by the Government: the reduction of the workweek to 37.5 hours annually and the reinforcement of the mandatory digital timekeeping system.

Includes links to official sources (BOE, Congress, Ministry of Labor, Labor Inspectorate) so you can verify the information at any time.

Table of Contents

• Context and current status of the regulation
• Key changes for companies
• The 37.5-hour workweek
• Mandatory digital timekeeping system
• Right to digital disconnection
• Tougher penalties
• Expected implementation timeline
• Risks of failing to adapt in time
• Practical steps for your company
• How JornAda helps you

Context and Current Status of the Regulation

In May 2025, the Council of Ministers approved the Draft Law on working time reduction and strengthening of the timekeeping system (official note).

The text is already published in the Official Gazette of the Spanish Parliament (BOCG) and is undergoing parliamentary procedure.

Since 2019, all companies are already required to record each employee’s working time, under Royal Decree-Law 8/2019, which amended the Workers’ Statute.

Key Changes for Companies

The 37.5-Hour Workweek

The maximum standard workweek will be reduced from 40 to 37.5 hours, calculated annually. This will require reorganizing schedules, shifts, and collective bargaining agreements.

Mandatory Digital Timekeeping System

A new Article 34 bis will be added to the Workers’ Statute. The main changes are:

• Mandatory, digital, and tamper-proof system.
• Recording of start, end, and relevant interruptions of the workday.
• Issuance of a monthly summary together with the payslip.
• Guaranteed access for employees, legal representatives, and the Labor Inspectorate.

Right to Digital Disconnection

Article 20 bis of the Workers’ Statute is reinforced, already regulated under the LOPDGDD and Law 10/2021 on remote work. Companies must ensure workers do not suffer negative consequences for not responding to communications outside working hours.

Tougher Penalties

The Law on Infractions and Sanctions in the Social Order (LISOS) will be amended so that the absence or manipulation of timekeeping counts as one infraction per employee. Fines will range from €1,000 to €10,000 per affected worker.

Expected Implementation Timeline

• Final approval of the law: expected before the end of 2025.
• Transition period: six months from its publication in the BOE to adapt digital timekeeping systems.
• Collective bargaining agreements must be updated to reflect the 37.5-hour workweek.

Risks of Failing to Adapt in Time

• Significant fines per affected worker.
• Increased inspection pressure, with a reinforced Labor Inspectorate.
• Loss of internal credibility, with potential labor conflicts if there’s no transparency regarding overtime and breaks.

Practical Steps for Your Company

• Audit the current timekeeping system.
• Design an adaptation plan for the 37.5-hour workweek.
• Implement digital timekeeping software with traceability and authenticity.
• Define and communicate a digital disconnection policy.
• Generate and store monthly reports for at least four years.

How JornAda Helps You

At JornAda we’ve created a timekeeping solution designed to ensure your company is compliant from day one:

• Digital time tracking via mobile, web, or tablet, suitable for offices and remote work.
• Automatic reports ready to present to the Labor Inspectorate.
• Immediate adaptation to the 37.5-hour workweek.
• Simple admin panel for SMEs and labor consultancies.

You can check out our pricing plans, read more articles on our blog, or contact us directly through our contact form.