The National High Court has established that holidays that coincide with the weekly rest on Saturday must be compensated with an additional day of rest, in a ruling that directly affects the customer service center sector.
The decision responds to a collective dispute filed against the "contact center" sector agreement and sides with the USO, CGT, UGT, and CCOO unions, as well as other organizations that subsequently joined the proceedings.
End to a practice considered contrary to law
The Social Chamber has considered that the business practice of not compensating holidays when they coincide with the weekly rest day established on Saturday is not in accordance with the law.
According to the ruling, this situation meant that workers lost part of the effective enjoyment of the holidays established in the labor calendar, whether state, regional, or local.
Right to additional rest guaranteed
The ruling recognizes the right of workers to have holidays not be absorbed by the weekly rest, establishing the obligation for companies to grant an additional day when this coincidence occurs.
This day must be enjoyed within a maximum period of 14 days from the affected holiday, according to the sentence.
Furthermore, the court establishes that the compensation must be applied retroactively to periods not yet time-barred, which opens the door to claims by workers.
Impact on the contact center sector
The ruling particularly affects companies grouped in the Association of Customer Experience Companies (CEX), against which the union demands were directed.
The union organizations maintain that the decision consolidates a doctrine that prevents holidays from "disappearing" through the planning of shifts or work schedules.
USO has valued the sentence as a step that clarifies labor rights and avoids restrictive interpretations of the holiday calendar.
The ruling is based on criteria already established by the Supreme Court in 2025, which recognized the right to compensation when a holiday coincided with the weekly rest, although without specifically addressing the case of Saturdays.