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Working in Spain? You could be entitled to up to 200 paid hours off for study
The little-known scheme may also be available to many foreign workers employed in Spain
Most employees in Spain are familiar with annual leave and special days off for events such as getting married, moving house or dealing with family emergencies. But far fewer know about a scheme that could allow them to spend weeks away from work each year without losing pay.
The programme is called the Individual Training Permit, or PIF, and it's designed to help workers improve their qualifications by giving them paid time off to attend approved training courses.
Under the scheme, eligible employees can request up to 200 working hours per year to study. For someone working full-time, that could amount to around five working weeks away from the job.
The leave is funded through Spain's professional training system, meaning employers can recover the salary costs and Social Security contributions associated with the employee's absence.
Importantly, the scheme is not restricted to Spanish nationals. British, Irish and other foreign residents may also qualify provided they are legally employed in Spain, contribute to Spanish Social Security and work for a company that participates in the training levy system.
The training must lead to an officially recognised qualification and it has to consist of face-to-face classes. This can include university degrees, vocational training courses, professional certificates, official master's programmes and qualifications from Spain's Official Language Schools.
There are, however, several catches that workers should be aware of.
Firstly, the leave is not granted automatically. Employees must apply through their company and employers can refuse the request if there are legitimate organisational or operational reasons.
Secondly, the training must take place during normal working hours. If classes are held entirely outside an employee's work schedule, there would be no need for training leave.
Not every course is eligible either. Many private online courses, hobby classes and non-accredited programmes fall outside the scheme.
It's also worth noting that the 200 hours is the maximum available. It doesn't mean every worker is automatically entitled to that amount each year.
Employees interested in applying will need to speak to their employer and submit a formal request. Application forms can be downloaded from the FUNDAE (State Foundation for Employment Training) website, which oversees the scheme.
Once the request has been submitted, the employer can either approve or reject it. If the company refuses the application, it must explain the reasons for doing so. If it's approved, the employee can use the agreed number of hours to attend their training during working hours.
For employees looking to gain new qualifications, improve their language skills or further their careers, however, the scheme could provide a valuable opportunity that many people working in Spain don't even realise exists.
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