Spain unpaid overtime crisis

In early August 2026, the Spanish trade union CCOO released a study estimating that unpaid overtime in Spain amounts to the equivalent of 68,000 full‑time jobs, costing the economy roughly €3.4 billion a year. The report highlighted that 436,000 salaried workers perform about 2.54 million extra hours weekly, with the education sector most affected, and called for stricter enforcement of working‑time rules.

A few days later, the government’s legal framework was examined. Spanish law permits employers to use geolocation‑based clock‑in systems without individual consent if they inform workers in writing and justify the data use. While the debate on mandatory hourly registration was postponed, officials reiterated the scale of unpaid overtime, citing INE data that confirm billions of euros in lost wages and tax revenue. Economists warned that the practice undermines productivity and public finances.