One of the great advantages of having a contract and being an employee is that you do not receive your salary for twelve months, but, by law, you are entitled to 14 payments. For this reason, many are aware of when the extra summer pay (for the holidays) or the Christmas pay (for the Christmas gifts) is received.
Do you know exactly when it is paid? And what is the amount? And what if you haven't worked all year? Don't worry, that's what we're going to talk about next.
What are the extra payments
Extra pay, also called extraordinary pay, or extraordinary gratuity, is salary compensation that is paid in addition to the worker's salary.
In other words, it is as if he received an extra salary for his work and because he has an employment contract with the company or employer.
How many extra payments do you have?
In this case, it is article 31 of the Workers' Statute (ET) that establishes the number of extra payments that a worker has. Specifically, it tells us:
«The worker is entitled to 2 extraordinary bonuses per year, one of them on the occasion of the Christmas holidays and the other in the month established by collective agreement or by agreement between the employer and the legal representatives of the workers. Likewise, the amount of such bonuses will be fixed by collective agreement. However, it may be agreed in a collective agreement that the extraordinary bonuses are prorated in the 12 monthly payments.
According to this article, one of the extra payments corresponds to Christmas while the second is left to the decision of the employer, either by collective agreement or by agreement with legal representatives. However, the normal and usual thing is that this payment is made in summer.
Now, it may be the case that a worker does not receive extra payments because they are prorated over the 12 months. In other words, in addition to receiving the land, he also has an extra that will be the one corresponding to those two payments divided by the twelve months.
How much is charged in extraordinary payments
In addition to knowing when the extra summer and Christmas pay is received, one of the most interesting topics, even more than the date on which it is received, is the amount that is "extra", especially in order to plan the personal expenses and income (and if that, treat yourself if you can).
In this aspect, the truth is that the amount is not determined by law. The Workers' Statute does not say anything and that implies that the final decision is made by collective agreement or by agreement between the employer and the workers' representatives.
Now, don't let that scare you because it is established that both payments should not be less than the minimum interprofessional salary, which right now in 2022 is 1000 euros per month. Thus, the normal and the minimum that you will receive in that extra pay is one thousand euros.
Can you charge more? Yes. By agreement or agreement with the employer it is possible that you can receive the same salary as a normal month, with its extras, bonuses, bonuses, etc. But, as we told you, this is already something that comes from the employer, because he really only has to meet the minimum wage.
What happens if a worker has not completed one year in the company
It may be the case that a person has started working after January 1, and that, therefore, the extra pay is not the same amount as a person who has completed one year.
Normally, for these cases, what is done is to take out what is going to be received proportionally to the time it has been. How do you do that? With the following formula:
(Pay received x days worked) / 180 days = Extra pay proportional to days worked
The 180 days correspond to the computation of the time of the extra payments (if you pay attention, 180 days are equivalent to 6 months).
When is extra summer pay collected?
Do you have the doubt of when the extra summer pay is charged? It is normal, especially if you are one of those who use that extra for the holidays. However, you should know that the employer is not required to pay in the summer. In other words, he could easily pay it to you in September, or in April. Or in November.
However, it has perhaps become a custom to give it in the face of summer. And when?
Normally, the Christmas one takes place between December 20 and 25, and in the case of the summer one, we could well say that the same thing happens. But you don't have to. And here the term is a little longer.
Specifically, we are talking about the months of June and July. In these two months it is usually the usual. Now, in terms of dates, it is said that extra payments can be received between June 20 and July 15.
It is almost always received by June 25, but if they are delayed, know that the deadline is usually longer, covering the first fortnight of July.
And what happens if I don't receive it?
It may be the case that you do not receive your extra summer pay. Or the Christmas one. What does that involve? Let's analyze it.
As you know, the people who receive extra payments are the employees (and that this is reflected in their contract although, being regulated by the Workers' Statute, it is possible that they do not even have to come).
Reasons why you do not receive your extra pay can be several:
- Because the payments are prorated, that is, each month you receive your salary plus an extra corresponding to those extraordinary payments.
- Because you came to work late. In this case there should be a proration, but if you have entered the day that corresponds to the payment, or later, obviously you will not receive it.
- Because you don't have an employment contract. Keep in mind that the Workers' Statute regulates employment contracts. But if your contract is commercial then, unless the employer wants, you will not receive it.
- That you have forgotten. Or he doesn't want to pay you. In this case, the law protects you, and you can report the company or employer.
Who imposed the extra pay
The extra payments are not something that has always been there, although the truth is that they are quite old. And to whom we owe it is Francisco Franco who, on July 15, 1947, decided to put a bonus of a week of work (at first it was not a month).
This "payment" was known as "the payment of July 18" and was offered as an objective so that the Spanish could enjoy the "Party of Exaltation of Work".
Is it now clearer to you when the extra summer pay is charged and everything that has to do with these extraordinary bonuses?