4 days of paid leave: when to ask for it
Four days of paid leave a year when a close family member suffers a serious illness or accident.
Spanish law recognizes a fundamental right for workers: up to four days of paid leave per year when a close family member suffers a serious illness or accident. 9 of the Workers' Statute since Royal Decree-Law 5/2023. These four days are not a concession from the employer, but rather an explicit legal right.
The law is categorical: workers can access this permit when a family member's medical emergency requires it. The allowance is renewed annually, providing a recurring protection mechanism that resets each January. Most workers discover this right only when crisis hits: an unexpected hospitalization of a family member, a serious accident for a relative, a medical emergency that requires immediate presence.
