A Social Security official proposes paid leave for workers: "A person can work for 51 years without stopping."

The mental health of workers is an issue that has long been at the center of debate and has established itself as the fundamental reason for expanding certain employee rights that were not protected by the previous regulations. But we can always go one step further.

In this regard, Alfonso Muñoz, a Social Security official, has made a novel proposal. He detailed it in a video on his TikTok channel: a paid temporary leave without having to provide a reason, simply to have a brief respite and use it for leisure, training, or simply to rest.

Muñoz recalls that "workers' work-related concerns or the situations and needs to be protected in the workplace have changed a lot over time," which is why he believes he is committed to "adapting existing benefits to new social realities" and at the same time " creating new benefits that protect emerging contingencies such as the mental health of workers ."

With this premise as a basis, Muñoz advocates for paid temporary leave to combat what he considers a "work-related punishment" and reduce the number of sick leaves and the percentage of workers affected by various types of disability. Muñoz defines it as the right of workers "to a break that allows them to refresh themselves, update their skills, or improve their training more peacefully ."

"Wouldn't it be reasonable for a worker who has been contributing for 15 years to be entitled to a paid leave of at least, let's say, six months? The fact is that many workers reach the age of 67 burned out, exhausted after a lifetime of tireless work ," the official asserts.

Muñoz refers to the record number of pension enrolments, as youth unemployment levels are at record lows in Spain, something that is not benefiting workers in terms of their earlier retirement. "A person can start working at 16, but conversely, they cannot access retirement until age 67, except in certain specific situations," the official explains.

"A person can work and contribute to the Social Security system for 51 years straight, without stopping, and without the system even allowing them a small respite ," says Muñoz, who wonders how this affects workers' health.

Muñoz explains that this fatigue is such that many workers, "those who can," are requesting early retirement, "even losing money, mainly thinking about their well-being and their physical and mental health." A reality that, in his opinion, would justify this measure.