Spanish employers must comply with an expanded set of worker information obligations from October 5, 2026, whether or not the government has published its official compliance template by then. Royal Decree 723/2026, adopted on September 9 and published in the Official State Gazette on September 15, 2026, replaces the 1998 disclosure framework and partially implements EU Directive 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions.

The Decree significantly widens what employers must tell workers about their employment terms, pay, scheduling and — in a notable first — the algorithmic systems used to manage them. It applies generally to employment relationships lasting more than four weeks, with specific rules for the fishing and maritime sectors.

What must employers disclose?

The new framework requires written information covering:

• Employment terms: identity of the parties, commencement date, expected duration, workplace arrangements, job duties and professional classification.
• Pay and working time: base salary, salary supplements, variable remuneration mechanisms, payment methods and frequency; plus schedules, overtime, shift work, holiday entitlement, notice periods for scheduling changes and irregular working time systems where relevant.
• Other conditions and protections: probationary periods, employer-provided training, termination procedures and notice, applicable collective bargaining agreements, social security and pension arrangements, the equality plan, harassment protocol and — where they exist — work-life balance policies and LGBTI measures.
• Algorithmic systems: where automated or algorithmic decision-making supports work allocation, scheduling, remuneration, career progression, place of work or termination, employers must inform workers of the systems' existence and operation.
• International assignments: employees working abroad for more than four consecutive weeks must receive supplementary pre-assignment information covering host country, duration, payment currency, allowances, expenses and repatriation conditions. Additional disclosure applies to EU and EEA postings.

What are the timing and delivery rules?

For new hires, the information must reach the worker before the employment relationship begins. Subsequent changes must be communicated as soon as possible and no later than the date they take effect.

The obligation is satisfied if the required information already appears in the written employment contract. Where the contract covers only part of it, the employer must supply the remainder in one or more additional written documents.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, through the Spanish Public Employment Service, must publish an official information document to help employers comply. That document has not yet appeared — and the October 5 deadline holds regardless.

What about existing employees?

The Decree does not apply only to new hires. Workers already employed when the rules enter into force in October may request the full information package. Employers must then provide the relevant information within 30 working days, unless the employee already has it.

For a workforce of any size, that response window — roughly six calendar weeks once holidays are stripped out — sets the effective planning deadline for closing documentation gaps.

What should HR teams do now?

Employers should audit the information they currently provide against the new requirements, with particular attention to contract templates, onboarding documentation and supplementary employment information notices. The algorithmic systems disclosure adds a new review step for organizations using automated scheduling or work-allocation tools, meaning HR will need to map which vendor systems qualify before the October 2026 deadline.