## [Spain: The Government approves employment measures for those affected by wildfires and introduces changes in the area of social security](/en_GB/new/spain-government-approves-employment-measures-those-affected-wildfires-and-introduces-changes)
# Spain: The Government approves employment measures for those affected by wildfires and introduces changes in the area of social security
Spain - 07 / 30 / 2026
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**Royal Decree-Law 20/2026 grants workers affected by wildfires the right to suspend their employment contracts and receive a special benefit for situations of extreme emergency. It also extends paid leave in the event of death caused by wildfires to five working days. Changes have also been made in the area of social security.**
[Royal Decree-law 20/2026.of July 29, 2026, establishing urgent employment and social protection measures in response to wildfires](https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2026/07/30/pdfs/BOE-A-2026-16543.pdf "https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2026/07/30/pdfs/BOE-A-2026-16543.pdf"), introduces a series of measures aimed at workers and businesses affected by wildfires that give rise to civil protection measures that affect the population, such as evacuations, access restrictions, lockdowns or other similar measures, until the end of the 2026 annual high wildfire risk season.
The new labor law measures notably include the following:
- The regulation of the requirements and conditions for employees to suspend their employment contracts and claim the special benefit for situations of extreme emergency - a contributory unemployment benefit - where evacuation orders or similar restrictions prevent them from accessing their primary residence and retrieving items essential for carrying out their work, provided that remote working is not possible. This right is also recognized where employees are required to devote their working time to relocating, cleaning or restoring their home, recovering their belongings, or completing administrative formalities that must be carried out in person. It is also applicable where employees are required to provide care for a spouse, civil partner or family members up to the second degree of consanguinity, including members of the same household, in the circumstances set out in the new law.
The amount of the benefit to be received will be equal to 70% of the computation basis. During the period in which the employment contract is suspended and the special benefit is being received, the State Public Employment Service will pay the social security contributions corresponding to the employee's share, and no employer social security contributions will be payable.
- The decree-law also extends paid leave in the event of death established in Article 37.3(b) bis of the Workers’ Statute to five working days following the funeral where the death is attributable to the wildfires.
- Any adverse measure taken by the employer in response to the exercise of these rights will be deemed null and void and employees exercising these rights are entitled to the same protection as that applicable to work-life balance rights for the purposes of proceedings before the labor courts.
- A 100% reduction of the employer’s share of social security contributions is envisaged for companies that have carried out a temporary collective layoff due to force majeure, in respect of contributions payable from August to November 2026, subject to a commitment to maintain employment.
- The measures take effect from July 22, 2026, irrespective of the date that the law comes into force.
[Royal Decree-Law 643/2026, of July 29, 2026 amending the General Regulations on the registration of companies, notification of new hires, terminations and variations in employees’ details for social security purposes](https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2026/07/30/pdfs/BOE-A-2026-16557.pdf "https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2026/07/30/pdfs/BOE-A-2026-16557.pdf") establishes, among other aspects, that the deadline to notify periods of leave and variations in employees’ details is extended from 3 to 6 days.
In addition, within six months from the entry into force of the decree-law, employers must notify the Social Security General Treasury of the occupational code corresponding to each employee's sole or principal occupation, as referred to in Article 30.2(a) the General Regulations on the registration of companies, notification of new hires, terminations and variations in employees’ details for social security purposes, for all employees registered under any of the employer’s contribution account codes, in accordance with the current National Classification of Occupations, provided that this information has not already been reported to the Social Security General Treasury.
[Labor and Employment Law](/en_GB/tags/labor-and-employment-law), [Spain](/en_GB/tags/spain), [Sustainability](/en_GB/tags/sustainability)
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