Canary Islands regulates partial retirement without a replacement contract for its labor personnel

The Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC no. 166, of August 19, 2026) publishes the Resolution of August 5, 2026, from the General Directorate of Labor, which agrees to the registration, deposit, and publication of the agreement regulating access to partial retirement without a mandatory replacement contract for the labor personnel of the Public Administration of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The measure, which enters into force on the day of its publication, affects thousands of public employees with full-time schedules.

The agreement was authorized by the Government of the Canary Islands in a session on March 23, 2026, following its negotiation in the Negotiating Commission of the III Collective Agreement for Labor Personnel, where it was reached on February 5, 2026, and modified on June 4, 2026, following a report from the Provincial Labor and Social Security Inspectorate. The resolution is signed by the Director General of Labor, José Ramón Rodríguez Albertus, and falls under the Ministry of Tourism and Employment.

Regulatory Framework

The regulation is based on Article 30 bis of the III Collective Agreement for Labor Personnel, which refers to the legislation of the Workers’ Statute and Social Security. The legal basis is Article 215 of the consolidated text of the Social Security Law (Royal Legislative Decree 8/2015), modified by Royal Decree-Law 11/2024, whose provisions entered into force on April 1, 2025.

The legal system thus distinguishes between partial retirement without a mandatory replacement contract and that which does require a replacement. This agreement regulates the first modality, the ordinary or non-anticipated one, for the labor personnel of the General Administration of the Canary Islands and delegated personnel.

Requirements and Access Conditions

To access this modality, it is required to be labor personnel within the scope of the agreement, be on a full-time schedule, and meet the Social Security requirements. The reduction in working hours must be between 25% and 75% of the ordinary working day.

• Have reached 67 years of age, or 65 years with 38 years and 6 months of contributions.
• Submit the application at least six months prior to the last day of full-time employment.
• Process the pension before the National Social Security Institute (INSS).
• Amend the full-time contract to a part-time one, with proportional remuneration.

Processing and Effects

The application is submitted via the electronic office to the Technical General Secretariat of the department or body where service is provided, which acts as the managing body, while the resolution corresponds to the General Directorate of the Public Service. The proposal report must be issued at least three months before the cessation of full-time employment.

During the first three months, the part-time workday is carried out in periods of days, weeks, or months, and after that period, it may be accumulated on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. In educational and welfare centers, for reasons of public service, accumulation may be applied from the start. Access does not entail the loss of acquired rights or seniority, and the Administration may not dispose of the position during partial retirement.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 166, August 19, 2026, III. Other Resolutions, page 32359 (official reference: Resolution of August 5, 2026, Directorate General of Labor).