A Guide to the Social Security System in Spain

All workers (employees, self-employed individuals, domestic workers etc.) must be registered with the Social Security system in one of the following regimes:

• General Contribution Regime

• Special Social Security Regimes (agricultural workers, civil servants, seamen, domestic employees, self-employed persons, public officers, etc.).

As a regular employee, a worker would be subject to the general contribution regime. In this regime, social security contributions are paid partly by the employer and partly by the employee. These payments vary according to different factors, but the average total payment may be estimated at 37.20% of the employee's monthly base (monthly salary plus proportional amount of extra payments-generally 2 a year) of which about 6.40% is paid by the employee and the remaining 30.80% by the employer. These percentages can vary slightly depending on several factors for example the type of contract, the sector in which you work etc. as well as from year to year. Essentially, the contributions made are categorised in the following way: general contingencies (the lion's share of the contribution), work-related accidents and professional illnesses, unemployment, professional training and a contribution to the salary guarantee fund (used in cases of company bankruptcy or other situations where companies are not able to meet their salary responsibilities). If the employee's monthly base (roughly speaking their gross monthly salary) is above the maximum amount (3,230.10 Euros for 2011), then these percentages will apply to that maximum figure. It is also important to note that your corresponding rights (unemployment benefit, pension etc) will also relate to this base which once again need not coincide with your actual salary if the latter is over the maximum limit.

The Social Security system provides cover in the following main areas:

a) Health assistance (maternity, common or professional illness, and accidents)

b) Financial assistance in the following cases: temporal incapacity, maternity, invalidity, retirement, unemployment, decease.

In order to avail of the financial assistance provided under the system, a certain number of conditions must be met which will vary according to the particular nature of the cover. For example, in the case of retirement, the worker must have reached the age of 65 and have made a minimum of 15 years' contributions of which 2 must have been within the last 15 years. The actual monthly amount due will depend on the following factors: 1) the regulatory base (essentially calculated as an average of past bases on which your social security contributions will have been made) 2) the applicable percentage applied to that regulatory base being 50% for a minimum of 15 years' contributions rising to a maximum of 100% for 35 years' contributions.

It is also worth bearing in mind that there are plans to modify the prevailing regulations in the near future although it is still not clear exactly what these modifications will be.

The author provides services to both foreign companies and individuals in Spain helping them get the appropriate legal, business and accounting assistance they require. To find out more click on the link - Lawyers Spain; Accountants Spain.

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Learning Spanish Can Help You in Everyday Life

Each day, someone is in the process of learning a new language. The reasons these people learn new languages vary greatly. One very popular reason that people decide to learn a new language, especially Spanish, is to help them in the business world. Some other reasons to learn a new language are because that person wishes to learn about another culture, or they are with someone who speaks Spanish and want to learn the language to communicate with their loved one in 2 separate languages.
Where you work may have in influence on the language you wish to learn. Also, your neighboring countries should have an influence on what language you wish to learn. Since Spanish is one of the most common languages in the world, it would benefit you to learn this language.

These days, a lot of the big corporations need bi-lingual people to work for them. The reason for this is that these companies do a lot of business with people who are in other countries, and a lot of these countries have Spanish as their main language. A lot of the time, a bi-lingual entry on a resume will help you get a job over a different candidate.

Learning Spanish is no longer a difficult task. Thanks to the internet, there are many different ways to learn Spanish. Today, there are tons of different programs that you can download online to help you learn Spanish. Some of these programs are specifically for the computer, while others that you can have shipped are audio and can help you while you are driving in your car. If you do not want to pay for a program, take a trip to your local library. You will be able to listen to all of the audio you want, and the best part is that it is completely free. If you are thinking about learning Spanish, remember all of the different benefits that can come from it. A second language will take you a very long way in the work force. Take the time to learn now and you will prosper in the future.

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