12 M: Elections to the Parliament of Catalonia. Work permits for voters and polling station officials.

On Sunday 12 May, the elections to the Parliament of Catalonia, will be held and from the Augusta Abogados employment team, we inform you of the work permits that workers can access whether they are voters or members of a polling station.

ORDER EMT/79/2024 of 16 April establishes the necessary instructions for the participation of workers in the elections to the Parliament of Catalonia on 12 May 2024. Likewise, by virtue of Decree 60/2024, of 18 March, on the call for elections to the Parliament of Catalonia and their dissolution, and Decree 64/2024, of 19 March, on complementary rules for the holding of the elections to the Parliament of Catalonia on 12 May 2024, the following provisions are established in terms of work permits:

Duration, determination, and justification of the permit

• Workers who are voters and do not take a public holiday on election day will be entitled to paid, non-recoverable leave of up to four hours within their normal working day.
• This leave shall not be required for those workers whose working day partially coincides with polling station hours for a maximum of two hours. If the overlap is more than two hours but less than four hours, two hours’ leave shall be granted; and if the overlap is four or more hours, the full four hours’ leave shall be granted.
• The length of leave shall be reduced proportionately for those workers whose working hours on the day of the vote are shorter than usual.
• The timing of the use of the hours granted for voting shall be determined by the employer and shall coincide with the timetable set by the polling station.
• In order to receive the salary corresponding to the time used for voting, employers shall be entitled to ask the workers for the proof issued by the corresponding polling station.
• Members of polling stations and voters’ scrutineers shall be entitled to full-time leave on election day and leave corresponding to the first five hours of the working day of the following day.
• Proxies shall be entitled to paid, non-recoupable leave for the full day of 12 May 2024.
• Workers who need to apply for certification to vote by post will be able to take up to four hours’ leave from the time the election is called until 2 May 2024.
• Staff in the service of the Administration shall be entitled to the same leave in identical circumstances, as established by each administration.

Remuneration of leave

• The leave shall be non-recoverable and shall be remunerated with the salary that would correspond to the worker if he/she had worked normally.
• If part of the wage is made up of a bonus or incentive, this part shall be calculated on the basis of the average wage received by the workers for the above-mentioned item in the immediately preceding six months worked.
• For the purposes of salary payment for the time spent voting, employers are entitled to ask their employees to show proof of having voted, issued by the corresponding polling station.

Employment Department| Augusta Abogados