A court in Santander has issued a pioneering judgment in Spain, also recognizes the right of grandparents to a balance between professional and private life. This verdict comes after Gloria, a grandmother, requested that her schedule be adjusted to be able to care for her granddaughter, while her daughter trains in the afternoon. “She’s a single mother and I couldn’t help her the way I wanted.”“I then considered asking the company to help me achieve a better balance by offering more flexible hours, but they didn’t want to,” explained Gloria, who alluded to the fact that the company had indicated that priority should be given to first-level students who are parents.
However, as the lawyer of the Union of Workers (USO), Laura Cubas, explains: “Article 34.8 was modified by Royal Decree 5/203. This right has also been extended to second-degree relatives.“. “It does not say that they have less rights than those of the first degree, they have the same rights if their reasons support them,” added the lawyer.
In this case, the judge found that the requirements were met, therefore the company had to adapt schedules. “Now I will leave earlier, which allows me to arrive on time,” explains the grandmother.
