The Incident: Internal Document Leaked by Online Account
Recently, an internal ‘employee handbook’ from a restaurant in Málaga, exposed by the well-known Spanish online account ‘Soy Camarero,’ has sparked widespread attention and intense debate in Spanish society. The handbook details a series of harsh management rules for employees, with its content being slammed by netizens as ‘abusive clauses’ that seriously violate workers’ fundamental rights.
Strict Working Hours and Overtime Demands
According to the leaked handbook, the restaurant exercises extremely detailed control over employees’ working hours. In addition to specifying tasks like cleaning the warehouse on Sunday nights and deep cleaning on Wednesdays and Thursdays, it also imposes mandatory requirements for attendance and overtime.
The handbook explicitly states that employees must arrive 10 minutes early and reads: “If you need to work an extra 30 to 40 minutes, you have to stay and do it. This is the hospitality industry, not a factory! There will always be a chance to make up for it later.” This clause is widely seen as clear evidence of forced unpaid overtime.
The Most Controversial Sick Leave Policy
The rule in the handbook that has caused the most public outrage concerns the handling of sick leave. It brazenly states that even if an employee feels unwell, they must first report to the restaurant to have their ‘condition confirmed’ by a manager before they can go to a doctor to obtain a sick note.
The handbook adds, in a threatening tone: “We will investigate every sick leave claim, as taking time off forces colleagues to work double and adds extra costs to the company.” It also stipulates that wages will be docked directly without a sick note, urging employees to “value your job.” This policy has become the focal point of public criticism due to its inhumane nature and disregard for employees’ right to health.
Public Reaction and the Labor Rights Debate
In addition to the aforementioned clauses, the handbook also includes coercive and oppressive rules such as “all-black attire is mandatory” and an emphasis that “the customer is always, always right.” Once exposed, these documents quickly went viral online, sparking intense anger among hospitality workers and the general public.
The general consensus is that these rules blatantly trample on the workers’ rights protected by Spanish labor law. They not only constitute suspected forced unpaid overtime but also severely violate an employee’s right to rest and health when ill. Many commentators have pointed out that requiring sick employees to first report to the workplace for an ‘inspection’ is a dual affront to both their dignity and their health.
