In today’s business environment, complying with legal obligations in labour matters is essential to ensure the proper functioning of organisations and to protect the rights of employees.
This article highlights the most relevant labour obligations that companies must comply with, focusing on four key aspects: time recording, wage recording, equality plans and the implementation of a whistleblowing channel.
These measures not only respond to legal requirements, but also promote transparency, fairness and respect in the workplace.
Working time recording
In Spain, since May 2019, it has been mandatory for companies to ensure the daily recording of the working day of all employees, regardless of the size and sector of the company.
The record must include the specific start and end times of each employee’s working day and must be kept by the company for four years. The record also must be made available to employees, their legal representatives and the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate.
Salary record
The mandatory salary register was also adopted in 2019, with the intention of ensuring equal pay for work of equal value, without discrimination based on sex in any of its elements or conditions. According to the Workers’ Statute, all companies, regardless of their size, must comply with this obligation.
The wage register has to include the average values of the salaries of the employees who are part of the company, the average values of the salary supplements and the average values of the non-wage payments. In addition, the above values must be compared by category, group and position of the employees in the enterprise.
Equality plans
As with the previous obligations from 2019, it is compulsory for companies with more than 50 employees to establish an equality plan that includes the whole company. Failure to implement equality plans can be considered a very serious offence according to the Law on Offences and Penalties in the Social Order (LISOS).
Company equality plans are an ordered set of measures, adopted after a diagnosis of the situation, which aim to achieve equal treatment and opportunities between men and women, as well as to eliminate gender discrimination.
Whistleblower channel
Companies with 50 or more employees are obliged to have a complaints channel. In general, companies with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from this requirement, unless they are obliged to do so by collective bargaining agreement.
Whistleblowing channels must comply with data protection and privacy laws, as well as guaranteeing the anonymity of the whistleblower. These channels must also offer multimedia coverage, i.e. they must make available to those who need them as many channels as possible, whether they are on-site or telematic.
Finally, it is important that the traceability of the complaint is guaranteed to prevent false reports.
Conclusion
Compliance with these obligations is essential to avoid sanctions and to strengthen a more fair and inclusive working environment. In addition, these measures enable companies to adapt to evolving regulatory requirements, improving their reputation and fostering more balanced labour relations.