Madrid, Spain – Who could turn down a two-hour lunch fueled with good wine and the lure of a post-meal siesta? Spaniards would love to.
Many have schedules chopped in half with extensive breaks, making the workday so long that home is a place they only visit.
Now relief is at hand, at least for civil servants: Government offices are closing earlier and offering flex time to help people spend more time with friends and family.
Many Spanish civil servants work from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., break for lunch, then come back as late as 4:30 p.m. for another three hours. Add commuting time, and people spend 12 hours or more away from home every day.
Elsewhere across Europe, most government workers are done with work and out of the office by 5 or 6 p.m., with lunch breaks averaging between 30 minutes and an hour.
Under a law that went into effect Tuesday, Spanish government ministries will close by 6 p.m. as part of a package of measures designed to help Spaniards balance jobs and families.
