Spain proposes new costs for businesses employing interns

Spanish Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, announced that the government is preparing to approve a new regulation regarding internships. The proposed law aims to increase the responsibilities and oversight of companies and self-employed individuals who hire interns.

Under the draft regulation, businesses would be required to compensate interns for certain expenses, such as travel costs, in addition to existing social security contributions. This follows previous reforms that mandated companies pay specific contributions for student interns. The minister noted that the draft has undergone internal discussions within the government and is expected to be sent to Congress for final approval after being cleared by the Council of Ministers.

The regulation has been under development for over two years following an agreement between the government and labor unions. Once implemented, the measure could result in additional costs of hundreds of euros per intern for participating businesses.