The public employees of the Generalitat of Catalunya who have children may apply for a flexible schedule or one reduction of working hours until the minor is 14 years old. Two years later than what is contemplated in the regulations for the private sector. This has been agreed by the Catalan Executive with the most representative unions, as well as reinforcing their protocols against sexual harassment and labor among officials. In order to deal more efficiently with the six complaints they receive each year for sexual harassment and 65 for psychological violence against a public employee.
One of the main novelties is the inclusion within said protocol of the high positions of the Generalitat, including the members of the Government themselves, and the positions of free appointment. In 2020, the then Foreign Minister, Alfred Bosch, was forced to resign for not activating the protocol when he learned that his chief of staff was accused of sexual harassment by several workers. “As administrations, we have the responsibility of being exemplary,” declared the ‘councillor’ of Igualtat, Tania Vergeat a press conference.
The ‘Councillor’ of the Presidency, Laura Vilagraand the ‘councillor’ Verge have presented this Thursday at a press conference -one day after the 8M– A package of improvements in the working conditions of public workers. In addition to extending the years during which the Generalitat’s civil servants and staff will be able to take advantage of flexible hours, the management’s veto capacity for those parents who want to reduce their working hours is also eliminated, with the proportional reduction of salary, to care for a minor up to 14 years of age. Until now, the heads of the department had a certain power to condition this right to “the needs of the service”.
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The Generalitat has also enabled a special paid leave that all civil servants can take advantage of, which includes a total of 15 hours of absence from the job that will not need to be justified. The hierarchical superior will only require the employee a responsible declaration, alleging that the absence was due to medical reasons. They should not present proof of withdrawal.
Another novelty agreed with the plants is the extension of lactation permits in the case of public employees single parent. These will now have the right to be absent two hours a day from their job, which they can divide into two fractions of an hour. These measures will enter into force once the Government approves them in the Consell Executiu, something that it plans to do over the next few weeks.