Self-employed individuals with employees could receive up to 732 euros a month for hiring substitutes of any age. The proposal, put forward by the General Council of Social Graduates of Spain, aims to eliminate the 30-year age limit in effect since September 2023.
According to pymesyautonomos.com, the General Council of Social Graduates of Spain (CGGS) has requested a regulatory reform that would allow self-employed individuals with employees to receive bonuses of up to 732 euros per month for hiring substitutes, regardless of their age. The proposal is a request from the collective and, for now, no modification has been approved.
The restriction they wish to eliminate has been in effect since September 1, 2023. Since that date, bonuses for replacements due to childbirth, risk during pregnancy, or natural breastfeeding require hiring an unemployed person under 30 years old. If the candidate turns 30, the employer loses the two bonuses of 366 euros per month: one for the substitute and another for the replaced worker.
With a 29-year-old substitute, the reduction in contributions can reach 732 euros a month. In three months, this would amount to 2,196 euros, in six months 4,392 euros, and in twelve months 8,784 euros.
Before 2023, the regulations allowed for full bonuses on certain employer contributions in replacement contracts, without an age limit for the hired person. The Royal Decree-Law 1/2023 replaced that coverage with fixed amounts of 366 euros per month.
The CGGS believes that the change makes it difficult to hire experienced professionals and reduces the economic protection of companies during maternity absences. Therefore, they are calling for a review of the current amounts as well.
The proposal seeks to amend articles 17 and 18 of Royal Decree-Law 1/2023 to remove the 30-year barrier. Alternatively, it suggests eliminating it at least for replacements due to risk during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Self-employed individuals who substitute themselves have a different regime. According to article 38 of the Self-Employed Workers' Statute, bonuses in those cases do not impose the same age limit on the substitute.
Data from SEPE shows a decline in these contracts: 119,857 in 2022, 94,244 in 2023, and 38,176 in 2024. This is a reduction of 81,681 contracts, equivalent to 68.1% in two years. The CGGS also calls for a review of incentives and improved statistical information to measure their real effects.
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