Work In Spain

 

At present, the Spanish job market is robust, which makes working in Spain an achievable dream. The wages are generally lower than those in northern Europe, but the cost of living is lower and the overall lifestyle better. Most qualifications obtained elsewhere in the European Union are recognised in Spain with the workforce accepting foreigners into the community.

Obtaining a contract of at least 6 months from your employer will guarantee you the same rights as a Spanish employee. This contact should be read carefully so getting it translated if you do not speak Spanish is a good idea. Temporary contracts are generally offered for 3/6/9 months. After this contract expires, to keep you on, the employer has to offer a long-term contract to keep you on. They are not allowed to keep offering short-term contracts.

Work hours in Spain include a siesta (which is a 2 - 3 hour break in the afternoon). Most business shut down at this time and re-open in the cooler hours of the evening.

Spanish workers are, like the lifestyle, quite laid back with no great rush to get things done. Their rights are heavily protected from exploitation with employee contracts strictly adhered to.

Should you be dismissed from your Spanish job, and do not agree to the reasons, you can give a demand for a conciliation within 20 days of receiving the dismissal. There is no presentation of evidence here and as so relies on an agreement being reached between the two parties. If one is not reached you may then place a suit in the labour court. (juzgado del lo Social). If your dismissal is found to be unjust you will receive 45 days compensation for every year worked.

For those from outside the European Union (Spanish work permits are more or less automatic for EU citizens), getting a work permit can be an ordeal. A Catch 22 can arise - many Spanish employers will not hire without an existing work permit, but work permits are difficult to get without guaranteed employment based on special needs for a non-Spaniard.

Finding Work

UK/EEA nationals have the right to live and work in Spain without a work permit. UK/EEA nationals working in Spain have the same rights as Spanish nationals with regard to pay, working conditions, and access to housing, vocational training, social security and trade union membership. Families and immediate dependants are entitled to join them and have similar rights.
For more information on moving to Spain contact the Spanish Embassy.
Spanish Embassy
Chancellery
39 Chesham Place
London
SW1 8SB
Tel: 0207 235 5555
Fax: 0207 235 9905
Website: www.mcx.es/londres/
Email: embespuk@mail.mae.es

EURES (European Employment Services)
Jobcentres and Jobcentre Plus Offices in the UK have details of vacancies throughout the EEA, supplied to them through the EURES network. This is a partnership between all of the employment services in the EEA, to support free movement of workers. The EURES system facilitates the circulation of vacancies and enables access to up-to-date information on living and working conditions in each EEA Member State via a computer network.

There are over 700 specially trained advisers throughout the EEA. Their role is to promote employment mobility within Europe. They are called EURES advisers and they specialise in the practical issues surrounding employment in the EEA Member States. EURES advisers can be contacted via your local Jobcentre Plus office or from the website below.
The address for the EURES website is: www.europa.eu.int/eures
Customers looking for employment elsewhere in Europe may register their CV’s on the website’s CV-Search service. Registered employers use the service to search for suitable applicants for their vacancies and are able to contact the jobseeker directly.

Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus has a network of offices throughout the UK where staff can help you find work locally, nationally and internationally. Look in a telephone directory under Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre. Alternatively, call Jobseeker Direct on: 0845 6060 234. Jobcentre Plus vacancies (including those for work overseas) are also advertised on this website.

The Employment Service in Spain
As an EEA national you have free access to the services of the Spanish employment service, ‘INEM’ or ‘Oficina de Empleo’.
The ‘Oficinas de Empleo’ are run by the state ‘Instituto Nacional de Empleo’ (INEM website www.inem.es) or the regional Government Employment Service. ‘Oficinas de Empleo’ can be found in all cities and most towns. Their addresses are listed in ‘la Guía Telefónica’.
Staff can assist customers in finding a job, vocational training and setting up a business

Spanish Employment Agencies
The state-run INEM and the regional Employment Offices are not the only employment and recruitment agencies allowed to operate in Spain for permanent work. Job applications may also be made via authorised non-profit making “Private Placement Agencies” (whose services are paid for by the user, who may only be charged for the expenses incurred). These agencies must guarantee, within the scope of their operation, the principle of equality of opportunity and may not discriminate on grounds of race, sex, age, marital status, religion, political views, trade union membership, social class or language within the Spanish state and must be non-profit making organisations.
Temporary Employment Companies in Spain are only allowed to operate for temporary work. For names and addresses look in the Yellow Pages ‘Páginas Amarillas’ under ‘Empresas de Trabajo Temporal’. Large public reference libraries in the UK may well hold copies of ‘Páginas Amarillas’ or look on the Internet at www.paginasamarillas.es/

UK Employment Agencies
Some UK employment agencies that deal with work abroad are registered with the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). REC is a trade association of recruitment agencies and may be able to recommend an agency to help you in your search for work. If you write to REC outlining the type of employment you are looking for, they should be able to provide you with a list of suitable agencies.
You can contact them at:
REC
36 - 38 Mortimer Street
London
W1W 7RG
Tel: 0207 462 3260
Fax: 0207 255 2878
Website: www.rec.uk.com/

The Press in Spain
Try the main daily newspapers – they all advertise job vacancies. The following Spanish newspapers have websites:

• ABC www.abc.es/
• El País www.elpais.es/
• El Periódico www.elperiodico.es/
• La Vanguardia www.vanguardia.es/
• El Mundo www.el-mundo.es/

Sunday editions have the largest recruitment sections, though vacancies are advertised every day.
All regional newspapers also have vacancy sections.
English language newspapers such as ‘Lookout’, or ‘Surenglish’, which circulate in on the Costa del Sol, advertise vacancies

Seasonal Jobs
Most seasonal jobs last for the duration of the summer tourist season, and are the obvious casual or temporary jobs for a few weeks only, primarily working in the obvious tourism industry, such as in bars, restaurants and clubs. In addition there are jobs as couriers and tour guides, and sports instructors but Spanish fluency is generally required.
On the Costa del Sol, hotels, bars and restaurants are by far the largest employers of seasonal workers and jobs are available year round, from hotel managers to kitchen hands. Experience, qualifications and fluent Spanish are required for all the better and higher paid positions, although a variety of jobs are available for the untrained and inexperienced. Be warned that if accommodation with cooking facilities or full board isn't provided with a job, it can be expensive, particularly during the summer when you are competing with seasonal tourists willing to pay a high price for break

Couriers and Tour Reps
One of the best sources of seasonal work for foreigners is as a courier or representative for a foreign package holiday company and various jobs at holiday camps and campsites. Competition for jobs is fierce and Spanish fluency is usually necessary, even for employment with foreign tour operators. Most companies have age requirements, the minimum being 21, although many companies prefer employees to be older. To find out which companies operate in Andalucia (Costa del Sol) check the brochures, check out the brochures in your local travel agency and send in your application well before the season starts.

Timeshare
If you scan the local English language newspapers, you will see that 75% of the jobs available are in the timeshare industry. Don't be immediately put off, while there are plenty of sharks and scams, there are also several reputable time share companies that have many years of success behind them and provide contracts, good commission rates and opportunities for promotion to their staff. However, all timeshare companies offer the hard sell approach to prospective buyers and if you are uncomfortable with this then maybe you should stick to encyclopaedias!

Teaching English
English language teachers are in huge demand in Spain, where learning English has become obsessive in the last decade. Almost all private language academies insist on a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification, although occasionally you may get away with a degree in English instead and, occasionally, you can get a job merely on the strength of the fact that you are British – although obviously, this is not the sign of a particularly reputable school and you may have problems later on. Many foreign language schools have branches here, including Linguarama and often require applicants to attend their own teacher training courses. Many teaching jobs, particularly those in smaller schools, are advertised only locally and those advertised abroad tend to be for the larger schools, international agencies and government institutions. Information about language schools in Andalucia (and the rest of Spain) is available by writing to: Centros de Enseñanzza de Idiomas, Calle Sagasta, 27, 28004 Madrid. Language schools are also listed in the local Yellow Pages under Escuelas Idiomas.

Private Tuition
There is a high demand for private English teachers here and many teachers employed at local language academies supplement their income by giving private lessons. You can advertise in local schools, universities and retail outlets and, once you're established, additional students can usually be found through word of mouth, particularly for children who have failed their end of year English examinations!

Au Pairs
Both men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 are eligible for a job as an au pair. The au pair system provides young people with a great opportunity to travel, improve their Spanish and generally broaden their education by living and working in Andalucia. However, the main aim of the au pair system is to give young people the opportunity to learn a foreign language in a typical family environment . Au pairs are usually contracted to work for a minimum of six months and a maximum of a year. Most families require an au pair for at least the whole school year, from September to June. The best time to look for an au pair position therefore is before the beginning of the school year in September. Au pair agencies in Britain are listed in the Au Pair and Nanny's Guide to Working Abroad by Susan Griffith.

Illegal Employment
Illegal working thrives in Spain where it has been estimated that the turnover of the black economy equals around 25% of the official GNP and real unemployment is at least 10% less than the official figure. Many unscrupulous employers use illegal labour in order to avoid the high social security contributions and pay low wages for long hours and poor working conditions. Heavy fines are often imposed when offenders (employer and employee) are prosecuted so be warned!

__________________

 

Lee,

I'm a Dual national ...Australian/British citizen...my Spainish wife seems to think I need to obtain a number (sort of like a NI number) from the Guardia National to work in Spain......

This apparently means Q ing at the Police station at 7am for hours with all the Romanian immigrants .....have you heard of this proceedure ????

I have my full British (EU) Passport.....

PS I'm a Town Planner and worked in the UK for 2 years after 20 years in OZ !!!....apparently the profession does not exist in Spain as such ....which explains the fiascos in Marbella, Sesena etc etc .....

Any info would be appreciated from a fellow shooter !!!

 

Blimey Lee that was a long post

Have seen this new website... great idea hope it takes off

blancajobs.com - Jobs Costa Blanca - Employers - Employment - Where you're noticed and taken on board.

Wont help Ozzie as its local but hopefully will help someone

 

Thanks for that lead ...

You Brits are a pretty organised bunch !!!

pity i´m stuck in Madrid...!

I think my No.1 priority is improving my pathetic Spanish !!!!

 

Hello mate,

Im moving out to the costa blanca end of october and I have worked in timeshare in tenerife for a good company who was not a rip off,I read in your post that there are some good companys in the area,can you please give me any info and contact details please mate,I would really apprieciate it,I wouldn't work for a dodgy set up,

Cheers

Craig