The government wants to open the door to a change that could change the way many workers receive their salary throughout the year: the payment of holiday and Christmas bonuses in twelfths, spread over 12 months. The measure is part of the labor legislation review package already delivered to Parliament and appears as another piece in the broader reform of the labor code.
According to , the proposal provides that the vacation bonus may no longer be paid just before the rest period, but can now be distributed monthly, in equal parts, together with the salary.
The change does not imply automatic application. On the contrary, the proposed model points to an optional regime, dependent on understanding between both parties. In other words, employee and employer will have to agree whether they want to maintain the traditional payment or choose to pay in installments throughout the year.
The idea is not entirely new. Payment in twelfths was introduced in Portugal during the troika period and continues, in certain cases, to be practiced. The difference now lies in the intention to formalize and clarify this possibility within the general framework of labor law, offering a more explicit choice to workers.
In practice, the concept remains simple. Instead of receiving two additional amounts at specific times of the year, workers now receive these amounts spread over 12 months. The global value does not change, but the distribution over time changes significantly.
This adjustment reflects a logic of greater flexibility, which the Executive has been highlighting on several fronts of labor reform, from the organization of working time to contractual modalities.
What changes day to day
For those who opt for this model, the impact will be felt mainly in monthly income management. Take-home pay increases a little each month, but the financial reinforcement effect at specific times, such as the start of vacation or the holiday season, disappears.
On the other hand, the legal framework maintains existing principles. The CLT already allows, in certain cases, that payment can be made in a split form, as long as there is an agreement between the parties and legal deadlines are respected, such as the payment of the Christmas bonus by mid-December.
In this context, the Government’s proposal appears more as a clarification and extension of a possible practice than as a total break with the current regime.
If confirmed, the measure will also go through parliamentary scrutiny, in a process that should reopen the debate on labor flexibility and the balance between income predictability and workers’ financial autonomy. According to the same source, the final decision is now in the hands of the deputies and the political negotiation that will follow.
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