The Spanish Labour and Social Security Inspection Strategic Plan 2025-2027, published in the BOE on September 8, 2025, sets the agenda for inspection in Spain for the next three years. In an increasingly complex and digitalised regulatory environment, the Plan strengthens both resources and priorities, increasing risks and requiring greater preparation from companies.
Here is a summary of what every company operating in Spain should know, and why specialised legal advice is crucial.
Strategic Plan Objectives 2025-2027
Intensified Control in Critical Areas
The Plan focuses on areas historically prone to complaints or violations:
- Time and overtime tracking: thorough monitoring of clock-ins, breaks, and digital disconnection.
- Wage compliance: automated verification of the minimum wage and payroll items.
- Fraud in hiring: special attention to temporary, fixed-discontinuous contracts, and illegal subcontracting.
- Equality and non-discrimination: oversight of HR algorithms and automated systems.
- Occupational risk prevention: focus on high-risk sectors and emerging hazards.
Inspections will be targeted and supported by advanced technical resources, not sporadic.
Institutional Modernisation and Reinforcement
Beyond control, the Plan advances in structure, resources, and methodology:
- Addition of 554 new inspectors and sub-inspectors.
- Forensic IT laboratory to detect digital fraud.
- Intensive use of big data, AI, and massive data cross-checking.
- Standardisation of procedures and improved regional coordination.
This means the Spanish Labour Inspection has powerful tools to identify non-compliance, cross-check information, and reduce companies’ leeway.
Preventive and Advisory Approach
The Plan emphasises voluntary compliance, with technical assistance, collaboration with business and union entities, and information channels to facilitate regulatory compliance.
This dual approach—control and guidance—helps companies demonstrate good faith and proactively adopt corrective measures.
Implications for Companies
- Automated systems / HR algorithms: Selection, shift management, performance evaluation, and other automated processes will be scrutinised for equality, transparency, and non-discrimination.
- Increased risk of targeted inspections: Inspections will be selective and technology-driven.
- Temporary hiring and subcontracting: Seasonal or temporary staff and subcontracting chains will face special attention.
- Time tracking: Companies with distributed operations, 24-hour services, or mobile staff must ensure integrity, authenticity, and traceability.
- Integration for international groups: Multinational companies must adapt global HR systems to Spanish standards.
- Labour due diligence in M&A: Inspections will detect past irregularities, making thorough pre-acquisition audits essential.
Preparation Checklist for Companies
- Preventive audits of contracts, payroll, and time tracking.
- Review of HR algorithms to avoid bias.
- Update equality protocols and digital disconnection policies.
- Training for HR and compliance teams on new inspection priorities.
- Contingency plans for inspections.
Why Trust Our Legal Expertise
In this new regulatory environment, proactive action is essential:
- Preventive labour and social audits.
- Review and adaptation of HR systems and algorithms for compliance.
- M&A advisory (labour due diligence, contingencies, integration).
- Support in labour disputes, negotiations, and inspections.
- Training for HR, compliance, and management teams.
- Representation before authorities, inspections, and handling sanctions.
With the Strategic Plan 2025-2027 now in force, companies must anticipate risks and implement compliance measures.
We can assess your company’s labour compliance status, conduct a preventive audit, or support you in M&A or restructuring processes with full assurance.
