The Spanish government has approved a “paid climate leave” of four days to alleviate travel during weather-related alerts. This decision comes just a month after devastating floods in the southeast of the country resulted in the loss of 230 lives.
Adopted during a cabinet meeting as part of a broader risk prevention initiative, this new measure aims to “adapt labor laws” in Spain to the realities of a “climate emergency,” explained Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz during an interview on public television RTVE.
Under this policy, workers will be able to take a four-day leave, funded by the state, when an alert is issued by local councils, regional governments, or the central government. Diaz, a prominent member of the far-left party Sumar, emphasized the importance of this measure.
However, the minister did not provide further details regarding the specific types of alerts covered by this policy or the conditions employees must meet to qualify for it.
Several companies faced backlash following the floods that struck southeastern Spain on October 29 for insisting their employees remain at work despite a red alert issued by the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
In defense, these companies attributed the situation to inadequate information from authorities, which only sent alerts to the population’s mobile phones in the early evening—several hours after Aemet issued its warning.
