An ex-coworker was commenting that the thing with which he had the hardest time adjusting in Spain was the late hour of the supper. 21:00 hours ... 22:00 hours ... what kind of hour is that?
I couldn't help answering him 'Just wait and see how easy you'll get accustomed to getting fired for no particular reason.' I have been mean – I admit – but I had a good excuse: the same day I got an unfair dismissal. No previous notice, no complaints, no fights and especially ... no explanations. 'But, don't I have any rights?' I mumbled. No, except for getting paid a 45 days salary for each year worked in the company. You can make a complaint in justice but the only thing you will achieve is that you will get paid – the same amount – but later. So, do both of us a favor and sign.
By far is the most shocking thing a foreigner can get used to in this country. It appears that Spanish people consider getting fired for no particular reason the most normal thing in the world. As normal as a 3 months, 6 months, 1 year temporary contract. Nor the unemployment rate of 12.8% seem to get them too concerned. Actually, those who are working for a number of years in a company consider the unfair dismissal day as the day when they collect the jackpot. For more than 5 years worked you get the annual wage at once as a compensation. Not bad at all!
Worse is for the ones who try to enroll now in the labour force. They will find temporary contracts and they will be the cheapest to get fired, because they will have little antiquity in the company. Then they must wait until they 'catch' a contract on an undetermined period and then count the necessary months to qualify for getting a credit to a bank. Or to make a baby.
Yes, the employee is a leaf that the wind blows. He has no rights and can be fired at any time. And, as far as I can remember, choosing to be an employee was the less risky choice.
The fact that you can get fired that easy induces fear in the working environment. If you make to many questions maybe you are unsure of your professional strength and thus incompetent, if you have a different opinion maybe you are a fussy person. If you avoid having any contact with your boss or your co-workers and expect passively to receive work than you are lazy. If you manage working, but you don't have a humble enough attitude towards your employers, having for instance the impertinence of asking for a rise, in spite of the fact that you can survive with your actual salary, you are again fired. You can even get fired because a more desperate cheaper person able to do your job can be found.
Funny is also the attitude of the bosses. They will imagine that just paying your salary is enough and, if they occasionally give you some work to do, then they did the maximum effort possible. But they will spare conversations and meetings. They will accumulate proves in order to get you fired and they will do a quick trial in your absence – what arguments can you bring, anyway? Why would they do the minimum effort to criticise their employees in case they are not happy with them, listen to their opinions, subject themselves to the ordeal of a conversation, when they can spare all that just by replacing the problem employee?
In the next building the employees (the most recent ones, thus the cheapest) are fired on a weekly basis. In the same time, other persons are hired. Try again! Maybe this time you come across the perfect employee. It is a lot more confortable like this – even funnier – emotions once a week, new faces to refresh the atmosphere. Someone's colleague got an unfair dismissal immediately after announcing she needed a maternity leave. A friend of a friend had been working for two years in a company (doing his job, or so he thought) until one day walked to find another person working in his place, at his computer. Yes, the law allows you to make a complaint in the Court ... but it is like you are assumed guilty until proved otherwise.
I sincerely believe that this attitude towards the employees – some replaceable parts – is specifically Spanish. I don't say that employers should offer a job out of charity and keep an employee in spite of his low productivity – I am only saying that in order for an employee to be efficient he needs full collaboration from their co-workers and bosses. It appears that this is not easy to get in a fearful work environment where anybody can get fired at the slightest protest.
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Traducción al español
I couldn't help answering him 'Just wait and see how easy you'll get accustomed to getting fired for no particular reason.' I have been mean – I admit – but I had a good excuse: the same day I got an unfair dismissal. No previous notice, no complaints, no fights and especially ... no explanations. 'But, don't I have any rights?' I mumbled. No, except for getting paid a 45 days salary for each year worked in the company. You can make a complaint in justice but the only thing you will achieve is that you will get paid – the same amount – but later. So, do both of us a favor and sign.
By far is the most shocking thing a foreigner can get used to in this country. It appears that Spanish people consider getting fired for no particular reason the most normal thing in the world. As normal as a 3 months, 6 months, 1 year temporary contract. Nor the unemployment rate of 12.8% seem to get them too concerned. Actually, those who are working for a number of years in a company consider the unfair dismissal day as the day when they collect the jackpot. For more than 5 years worked you get the annual wage at once as a compensation. Not bad at all!
Worse is for the ones who try to enroll now in the labour force. They will find temporary contracts and they will be the cheapest to get fired, because they will have little antiquity in the company. Then they must wait until they 'catch' a contract on an undetermined period and then count the necessary months to qualify for getting a credit to a bank. Or to make a baby.
Yes, the employee is a leaf that the wind blows. He has no rights and can be fired at any time. And, as far as I can remember, choosing to be an employee was the less risky choice.
The fact that you can get fired that easy induces fear in the working environment. If you make to many questions maybe you are unsure of your professional strength and thus incompetent, if you have a different opinion maybe you are a fussy person. If you avoid having any contact with your boss or your co-workers and expect passively to receive work than you are lazy. If you manage working, but you don't have a humble enough attitude towards your employers, having for instance the impertinence of asking for a rise, in spite of the fact that you can survive with your actual salary, you are again fired. You can even get fired because a more desperate cheaper person able to do your job can be found.
Funny is also the attitude of the bosses. They will imagine that just paying your salary is enough and, if they occasionally give you some work to do, then they did the maximum effort possible. But they will spare conversations and meetings. They will accumulate proves in order to get you fired and they will do a quick trial in your absence – what arguments can you bring, anyway? Why would they do the minimum effort to criticise their employees in case they are not happy with them, listen to their opinions, subject themselves to the ordeal of a conversation, when they can spare all that just by replacing the problem employee?
In the next building the employees (the most recent ones, thus the cheapest) are fired on a weekly basis. In the same time, other persons are hired. Try again! Maybe this time you come across the perfect employee. It is a lot more confortable like this – even funnier – emotions once a week, new faces to refresh the atmosphere. Someone's colleague got an unfair dismissal immediately after announcing she needed a maternity leave. A friend of a friend had been working for two years in a company (doing his job, or so he thought) until one day walked to find another person working in his place, at his computer. Yes, the law allows you to make a complaint in the Court ... but it is like you are assumed guilty until proved otherwise.
I sincerely believe that this attitude towards the employees – some replaceable parts – is specifically Spanish. I don't say that employers should offer a job out of charity and keep an employee in spite of his low productivity – I am only saying that in order for an employee to be efficient he needs full collaboration from their co-workers and bosses. It appears that this is not easy to get in a fearful work environment where anybody can get fired at the slightest protest.
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