Essential Employment Contract Types and Labor Modalities

Understanding Employment Contract Types

Indefinite Contracts

Indefinite contracts are those that do not specify a completion date. These contracts often aim to promote the stable placement of specific groups affected by unemployment and job instability.

Fixed-Term Contracts

Fixed-term contracts are characterized by having a predetermined end date. Several types fall under this category:

• Work and Service Contracts

  These contracts are for a specific work or service, carried out with autonomy and substantive independence within the normal business activity. Their execution time is limited to the duration necessary for the completion of the work or service. If the contract exceeds one year, a written denunciation (notice of termination) is typically required.

• Contracts for Production Circumstances

  These contracts are designed to meet specific market needs or circumstances of production. Their maximum duration is generally six months within a twelve-month period.

• Interim Contracts

  Interim contracts are used for the temporary replacement of a worker, for example, during a leave of absence.

• Insertion Contracts

  Insertion contracts are specifically for unemployed workers registered with the employment office, aiming to facilitate their re-entry into the labor market.

Training Contracts

Training contracts are temporary contracts focused on professional development and skill acquisition. They include:

• Internship Contracts

  Internship contracts aim to provide initial work experience to young people who have obtained a university or technical degree. The working day can be full-time or part-time.

• Apprenticeship Contracts

  Apprenticeship contracts focus on acquiring the necessary theoretical and practical training for adequate performance in a craft or skilled labor position.

Part-Time Contracts

Part-time contracts are designed to enable a larger number of people to work by reducing the standard working hours. Their duration is determined by legally permissible cases, excluding training, indefinite, and periodic fixed work within the normal volume of the company's activity. This includes work of a discontinuous fixed nature, not repeated on certain dates.

• Complementary Hours

  In permanent part-time contracts, complementary hours can be agreed upon between the employer and the worker. These hours are added to the ordinary hours set in the contract. The maximum number of complementary hours may not exceed 15% of the ordinary hours worked under the contract. Pay for part-time work, including complementary hours, is proportional to the total time worked.

Relay Contracts

Relay contracts are specifically designed to replace a partially retired worker. The duration of the relay contract is typically equal to the time remaining until the replaced worker's full retirement. The working day for the relay worker can range from 25% to a maximum of 85% of a full-time position.