The People’s Party’s new conciliation law provides that public sector employees can “set the percentage of reduction in working time “according to their needs” to treat minors “suffering from a serious illness” such as cancer or another similar illness. The text will oblige the administration concerned to do so. respond within a maximum of 30 days upon registration of the request.
It is a right that employees in the private sector already enjoy, but which, in the public service, “it’s not respected in the same way”. According to popular sources within the leadership, reconciling professional and personal life is essential to improve the lives of citizens, but also to increase productivity and “eliminate the injustices” that hinder the economy and equality in Spain.
The standard carries work for a yearaccording to these PP sources, with businessmen, unions and associations from each sector. This affects several aspects, such as educationTHE tax policyTHE progress in equalityfocused in various ways: those concerning the rights of men and women or equal treatment between workers in the public and private sectors.
With this new rule, the rights of civil servants will be protected to immediately reduce their working hours when they need to do so. Caring for a minor with cancer or another similar serious illness. A problem which until now has remained hidden in the quagmire of Administrations and detected during the preparatory meetings for the standard, with the public service unions.
Protective rights
The leadership of the PP verified that currently, civil servants and other workers in town halls, provincial councils, autonomy and the General Administration of the State “must overcome countless bureaucratic obstacles” when they are obliged to request this authorization.
“In a period of emergency and concern,” explains one of the drafters of the regulation, “not only are medical reports required, which may violate the right to privacybut for some are illegally refused or bureaucratic slowness considerably delays obtaining the permit.
To avoid neglecting the sick, many civil servants take vacations while the authorization is processed, which constitutes a violation of their labor rights. “And above all an injustice that can be avoided,” insists this source. “Administrations treat their workers worse than companies”where these reductions in working time are already dealt with, “generally, normally”.
The rule that the PP will register in Congress in the coming days not only facilitates the procedures, but also protects this right immediately, with transitional measures. And he also protects him with the aim that no official can suffer retaliation or reduction of working conditionsafter taking advantage of this opportunity.
The text of the rule provides that the government will “urgently” develop new regulations on such paid leave to care for minors suffering from cancer or other serious illness. This right is currently recognized in the Article 49.e) of the Organic Statute of the Civil Servicebut the workers of these administrations “do not benefit from the same treatment and the same legal guarantees as the workers subject to the general social security system“.
This is explained by the sources consulted, which refer to the evolution of the legal text proposed by the PP. He Royal decree for application and developmentin the social security system, the economic benefit for the care of minors suffering from cancer or another serious illness establishes a certain virtually automatic mechanisms those from which salaried workers in the private sector benefit.
The idea is that this new regulation will develop “certain clear and objective criteria” for the granting of the permit in the public sector. The civil servant or public employee will have the “right to set” himself the percentage of reduction in working time “according to the needs” implied by his personal and family situation. And the Administration, the obligation to respond within “a maximum period of 30 days” for resolution upon registration of the request”.
Furthermore, the public employer You will not be able to use data such as “other parent’s day” to assess whether or not to grant the permit. And a simplification of administrative procedures will be introduced, “minimize the demand for documentation” which affects the private life of the minor concerned.
Finally, the bill provides that, during the development of this regulation, public administrations are required to “modify the criteria for interpreting the permit” who is aware of the above-mentioned Basic Civil Service Statute. It is that, temporarily, the criteria are equivalent with what is established by the decree that regulates these permits in the private sector.
That is to say, the possibility is considered that, if the minor’s illness is not cancer, it could be considered as comparable to “long-term hospitalization, after diagnosis”, while continuation of treatment or care of the minor at home.
