Workers in Spain get paid leave for up to four days if a catastrophe or extreme weather event prevents them from doing their job

EMPLOYEES in Spain will get up to four days of paid leave if extreme weather stops them from getting to their workplace or are sent home.

The Council of Ministers approved the measure on Thursday which hopes to ensure safety when there is a serious and imminent risk to life.

The concept of paid leave in an extreme situation was trialled in Valencia and other areas affected by the DANA event in October.

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The law on paid leave protects the rights of people not to go to work in the event of catastrophes or climate-related weather alerts that could put them in danger.

In addition, unions will be able to agree to stop work during alerts and agreements will be obliged to contain specific preventive measures.

Labour Minister, Yolanda Diaz said: “For the first time, Spanish labour laws will be regulated in accordance with the climate emergency and no worker has to take any risk.”

Diaz also stressed that the law will protect workers if companies decide to deny them leave permits.

If more days off are needed, companies will also have the option of integrating employees into existing labour procedures or extending the permit and contributing to paying for it themselves.

Employers will also need to have risk prevention measures specifically for disasters and extreme weather.

Workers have also been given the right to be informed about what these actions will be when a disaster alert is activated.

In the event of serious and imminent risk, companies will have to inform workers about these measures as soon as possible and tell them to stop working until the danger subsides.

They will have a year to draw up action plans, which will need to be adapted to the specific risks of each company.

“The climate risks are not the same for a worker who works in a construction company or outdoors as they are for a worker who, for example, works in an infirmary or a library,” Diaz said in an interview with broadcaster TVE.