Spain : judiciary rules that replacing employees by automation is not valid grounds for employment termination

The Las Palmas Social Chamber (Canary Islands) has ruled against the objective economic grounds that a hospitality sector business invoked in order to terminate an employee’s contract, some of whose tasks had been replaced by automated administrative software, and if upheld the payment for which would have been 20 days compensation for every career year worked. The ruling found that the termination of employment could not be based on objective economic grounds and that automating tasks in order to lower costs was effectively ‘reducing the right to work in order to increase company freedoms’, and as such terminating employment in this situation constituted a termination without objective economic grounds warranting compensation of up to 33 days per career year.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

The ruling concerns a situation from March 2019 when the hotel chain Lopesan Hotel Management SL, on Grand Canaria Island terminated the employment contract of an employee who had been working in the group’s accounting division for 13 years since 2006. The employee’s employment termination occurred three months after the company bought robotic process automation (Jidoka) software, specialized in recovery payments management, in December 2018. In justifying the employment termination, Lopesan ma

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Catherine Chavanier (CDC Habitat): “Social dialogue on AI facilitates its deployment”
In February, CDC Habitat (10,500 employees) signed a two-year framework agreement governing social dialogue on AI. Catherine Chavanier, HR Director of the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et...
EU: Council adopts position on simplifying AI rules
The Council of the EU approved its position on 13 March regarding the “omnibus regulation” proposal, published last November by the Commission to simplify the AI Act. Confirming the...
20 March 2026
Germany: menopause issues finally gain corporate recognition
With 12 million women over 40 in the labour force, German companies and occupational health professionals are beginning to adopt support policies for those affected by menopause-related issues...
Greece: hospitality sector signs first collective agreement aligned with National Social Pact
The hospitality sector (125,000 employees), one of Greece’s largest industries after retail, signed a new two-year collective agreement on 17 March. The text, effective from 1 April 2026...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
France: Yves Rocher convicted of breach of duty of vigilance for infringement of freedom of association
The specialised chamber of the Paris Judicial Court convicted Yves Rocher on 12 March for breaching its duty of vigilance. The group was sued by Turkish employees dismissed in 2018 by a subsidiary...
12 March 2026
2
2026 TRENDS – CSR: A strategic asset for European companies?
mind HR is looking ahead at the trends set to shape 2026. Sustainability policy remains in flux after a year of CSR rollbacks across Europe. Companies are calling for greater predictability and...
26 February 2026
3
EU: Council approves omnibus directive on sustainability
On 24 February, two months after the European Parliament, the Council of the EU adopted the omnibus package amending the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate...
24 February 2026
4
Germany: a corporate group supports local political engagement via its “Democracy Charter”
Large corporations in the Hesse region, surrounding Frankfurt, are defending local democracy by enabling employees to volunteer in local public life through an initiative dubbed the "Democracy...
11 March 2026
5
United States: Coca-Cola subsidiary sued by the administration over women-only event
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on 18 February that it is launching federal proceedings against Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast for “sex-based...
6 March 2026
6
EU: Council adopts position on simplifying AI rules
The Council of the EU approved its position on 13 March regarding the “omnibus regulation” proposal, published last November by the Commission to simplify the AI Act. Confirming the...
20 March 2026