Work-life balance, equality, and diverse families: the new maternity and paternity leave in 2025

Work-life balance in Spain takes a step forward with the approval of Royal Decree-Law 9/2025. This new regulation extends parental leave, strengthens the co-responsible role of parents, and reinforces the State’s commitment to true equality. Here’s what’s changing and how it affects families, workers, and companies.

What’s changing with Royal Decree-Law 9/2025?

The most visible change is the extension of leave for birth and childcare. Starting January 1, 2026, each parent will be entitled to 19 weeks of leave: 6 compulsory weeks immediately after birth or adoption, 11 flexible weeks during the first year, and 2 additional weeks that can be used until the child turns 8. This new structure applies to births and adoptions occurring from August 2, 2024.

These last two weeks are introduced as a new paid parental leave, which can be used flexibly — in individual days or part-time — and will be covered at 100% of the regulatory base, paid by Social Security. Its goal is to strengthen the right to care without professional or financial penalty and to encourage equal sharing of responsibilities between men and women.

In addition, single-parent families will have access to equivalent protection: 6 compulsory weeks, 22 flexible weeks during the first 12 months, and 4 extra weeks until the child turns 8. In total, 32 weeks to ensure their children receive the same level of care and attention.

What about the 8-week unpaid parental leave?

The 8-week unpaid parental leave, regulated since 2023 by Article 48 bis of the Workers’ Statute, remains unchanged. It can be taken continuously or intermittently, full- or part-time, until the child turns 8. While it was expected that the new decree might introduce financial compensation, this has not been included — at least for now.

This unpaid leave is independent from the new 2-week paid parental leave approved in 2025. Therefore, workers with children under 8 now have two complementary options: 8 weeks unpaid and 2 weeks paid.

Objective: harmonize work and personal life

With these measures, Spain completes the transposition of EU Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers. It also exceeds ILO recommendations, aligning with more progressive leave models like those in Nordic countries.

But beyond ticking boxes for Brussels, the objective of the new leave system is clear: to ensure that having and caring for children is not a professional setback. This reform aims for a fair distribution of time, eliminating the possibility to transfer weeks between parents and encouraging balanced use by both.

Since 2019, when Spain equalized maternity and paternity leave for the first time, men’s involvement in childcare has increased significantly. Now, with 19 weeks for each parent and more flexibility to adapt the leave to family needs, the qualitative leap is undeniable.

How this affects companies

Companies will need to adapt their internal policies and management systems to comply with this new regulation — particularly regarding work schedules, absence control, and team planning.

It’s important to note that the new paid parental leave will be funded by Social Security, so it won’t directly impact companies’ salary costs. However, it may pose an organizational challenge, especially for small teams or those with high turnover.

On the other hand, companies that go beyond the legal minimum and implement more ambitious work-life balance policies can stand out as responsible employers, improving their ability to attract and retain talent — especially in a context of talent shortages.

One more step toward real equality

The new Royal Decree-Law 9/2025 strengthens child protection, updates the leave system to today’s social context, and promotes a cultural shift in how work and care are perceived.

With this measure, the government meets EU requirements, supports diverse families, and highlights a key issue for public well-being. Now it’s up to companies to take the next step and turn this legal progress into organizational reality.

At VASALTO, we help implement these changes with technical precision and a human touch. If you need support to adapt your company to the new parental leave model, count on us.