The bill would make it easier to hire seasonal farm workers during the COVID-19 crisis

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would create extraordinary measures to encourage temporary hiring of farm workers during the state of alarm, in force until June 30, 2020. It would cover temporary contracts on farms signed and ended within that period.
2. Those eligible would include people who are unemployed or have stopped their activity, workers whose contracts were suspended due to temporary closures, migrants whose work permits expire between the start of the state of alarm and June 30, 2020, and foreign young people aged 18 to 21 with regular status. They must also live near the workplace: in the same municipality or a neighboring one.
3. Wages from these jobs would be compatible with unemployment subsidies, the farm income benefit and other social benefits. However, they would be incompatible with temporary disability benefits, risk during pregnancy or breastfeeding benefits, and contributive permanent disability pensions, with some exceptions.
4. Employers would have to have COVID-19 prevention measures in place, and wages would be paid by bank transfer, with a minimum set by the collective agreement or the minimum wage. Job offers would be reported to regional public employment services, which would give priority to people receiving no benefits or only non-contributive ones.
5. Since offices are closed under the state of alarm, Social Security and the State Public Employment Service could provisionally decide benefit applications without an electronic certificate, accepting alternative documents or sworn statements. They would later review all these provisional decisions.
6. The bill would also amend other rules: COVID-19 isolation or infection periods would be treated as equivalent to a workplace accident for temporary disability purposes; the extraordinary benefit for self-employed people who stop their activity would be rewritten; and interest-free six-month deferrals of Social Security contributions could be granted.

Who it affects

• People who are unemployed or have stopped their activity: They could work on farms without losing their unemployment subsidy or other benefits.
• Workers with contracts suspended due to temporary closures: They could combine their benefit with a temporary farm contract.
• Farmers and livestock breeders: They would have more seasonal labor for harvest campaigns.
• Migrant workers and foreign young people aged 18 to 21: They could extend or obtain work permits to work on farms.
• Self-employed workers: Their extraordinary benefit for stopping activity would be rewritten and they could request six-month deferrals of contributions.

Words worth knowing

Prestación por desempleo

Money paid by the State to people who are unemployed, commonly known as 'el paro'.

Subsidio

A smaller benefit than regular unemployment pay, for those who no longer qualify for it.

Prestación contributiva y no contributiva

A contributive benefit requires prior contributions; a non-contributive one is granted without that requirement.

Incapacidad temporal

A situation in which you cannot work due to illness or accident and receive a benefit, known as being 'on sick leave'.

Declaración responsable

A document where you state that you meet certain requirements, under your own responsibility, without providing proof at that moment.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries