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Spain has approved four days of paid climate leave for workers to avoid having to commute in extreme weather, a month after flooding killed nearly 230 people.
The Council of Ministers passed new measures on Thursday to ensure the safety of citizens during natural disasters and weather emergencies.
Spain suffered the worst flooding in recent memory on October 29, submerging villages, collapsing bridges and cutting off entire communities. At least 224 people have died, most of them in the Valencia region.
Employers have come under heavy criticism for ordering staff to continue working despite a red alert issued by the Met Office.
But the companies defended their actions, arguing authorities provided inadequate information and sent warnings by phone too late.
Now Spain will have its first “real climate holiday”, Labor and Social Economy Minister Yolanda Díaz said.
She added that the measures were “regulated under the climate emergency” so “no worker should be put at risk”.
It is expected to come into effect from Friday.
Inspired by similar measures in Canada, Spain’s climate holiday will be linked to warnings about climate or weather disasters.
Workers who are ordered by civil protection agencies to stay home due to unsafe conditions are provided with four days of paid leave. Government officials emphasized that the bill also protects workers from employers who may try to deny these permits.
Economy Secretary Carlos Cuerpo explained that leave will be provided when people are unable to attend work in person or remotely.
When emergency officials issue warnings about severe weather, “workers should refrain from going to work,” Mr. Diaz said.
Spanish workers will be able to opt for an additional reduced work schedule after the four-day leave period, using existing mechanisms designed for emergency situations.
“The climate risk of a worker in a construction company or working outdoors is not the same as the climate risk of a worker working in a dispensary or library,” Mr. Díaz told TVE.
“That is why we have ordered Spanish companies to have a protocol in place within 12 months, just as we have a sexual violence protocol to prevent LGBTI violence.”
