A renewed and expanded environment

We offer you new spaces where you can continue growing professionally.

On August 9, 2005, 20 years ago, a software developer from San Francisco created a concept that forever changed workspaces: the first coworking office. Several professionals gathered to share their workday in a loft where they combined the freedom of independent work with the organized and aligned structure of a traditional office.

This loft was the starting point of a movement that has spread to dozens of countries and now has more than 1,000 active spaces in Spain, a magnificent example of which can be found in our facilities. Within this framework, IL Coworking & Legal Services revives the philosophy of that first workspace 20 years ago, providing a constructive shared work environment where you can collaborate with professionals from different areas and sectors.

Since our opening, we've been committed to providing you with the best advantages offered by the diversity of a coworking space, allowing you to tap into new knowledge, experiences, and opinions. This is our goal, helping you find a new approach to creating or driving a project forward. We've also enabled the generation of multiple professional and career synergies, significantly expanding the network of contacts of all those who have visited the IL Coworking & Legal Services facilities.

None of this would be possible without a comfortable, modern, and technologically accessible work environment to properly address all your priorities. Our experience tells us that when you find the location that best suits your professional needs, the work you do flows more smoothly, making you feel more motivated and, therefore, better at working.

Aware of this, at IL Coworking & Legal Services we've taken a further step to provide you with the facilities you deserve. We've expanded our coworking spaces this August, and starting this month you'll have new facilities, in addition to the modern, bright workspaces we've already offered.

We want your professional comeback after the summer break to be as smooth as possible, and we trust that our renovated workspace will be to your complete satisfaction, making it easier for you to return to your daily work. Stop by IL Coworking & Legal Services and you'll have the opportunity to experience it firsthand.

MACROECONOMY

National GDP growth in the second quarter is surprisingly positive.

The economic recovery appears to be consolidating, despite the current global slowdown and sociopolitical uncertainty. This is clearly demonstrated by the strong growth in GDP in the second quarter of this year. Quarter-on-quarter, GDP grew by 0.71% in Q3Q, a figure 0.001% higher than the previous quarter and 0.2% higher than the forecast in our scenario. Year-on-year, GDP grew by 2.81% in Q3Q (the same figure as the previous quarter).

Likewise, in line with the data from the previous quarter, the breakdown by component shows a healthy and balanced growth composition, with marked growth in investment, private consumption, and exports. This figure is an even more positive surprise when viewed, as we say, within the challenging international environment, marked primarily, but not solely, by the upswing in trade tensions with the US and the associated uncertainty.

It is noteworthy that domestic demand, as Caixa Research highlights, is taking the lead and emerging as the main driver of growth. GDP growth was largely supported by the advance of private consumption and investment. Private consumption grew quarter-on-quarter by 0.81% Q3Q, compared to 0.51% Q3Q in the first quarter of 2025, and gross fixed capital formation advanced by 1.61% Q3Q, marking three consecutive quarters with growth above GDP. Within the investment segment, the growth in investment in non-transport equipment and investment in residential construction stood out. Meanwhile, public consumption fell slightly by 0.11% Q3Q. Overall, domestic demand contributed 0.9 percentage points to quarter-on-quarter GDP growth in the second quarter of 2025.

The export figures are also noteworthy. In the second quarter of 2025, exports grew by 1.11% quarter-on-quarter (Q3Q), driven mainly by the increase in goods exports, which grew by 1.51% quarter-on-quarter, compared to a more modest increase in services exports of 0.41% quarter-on-quarter. Year-on-year, services exports (+8.81% quarter-on-quarter) are showing much greater strength than goods exports (+0.51% quarter-on-quarter).

The export growth figure is noteworthy given the context of weak growth in our main trading partner, the eurozone. Imports, meanwhile, grew at a faster pace, 1.71% Q3PR, both in goods, with an increase of 1.51% Q3PR, and in services, with an increase of 2.11% Q3PR. The strength of imports is largely due to the import drive of domestic demand, primarily investment.

Thus, external demand reduced quarter-on-quarter GDP growth by 0.1 percentage points, although this does not mean the figures are negative. We are seeing strong growth in exports, which is more than offset by the increase in imports, which fuel the investment drive of domestic demand.

The modest increase in hours worked, of 1.31% year-on-year (YTD), compared to the strong GDP growth of 2.81% year-on-year (YTD), represents a significant increase in productivity per hour worked, of 1.51% year-on-year (YTD). This brings hourly productivity to 3.61% year-on-year (YTD) above the level of the fourth quarter of 2019. Productivity per hour worked has been recording very positive growth since the second quarter of 2022. Thus, the average year-on-year productivity growth between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2025 was 1.21% year-on-year (YTD), compared to 0.51% year-on-year (YTD) on average between the first quarter of 2015 and the fourth quarter of 2019. However, in terms of productivity per employee, the figures are more modest, as the number of employees grew more than the number of hours worked. In the second quarter of 2025, productivity per employee fell by 0.4%.

International growth
We have also just learned the latest international statistics provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which indicate that GDP for the OECD as a whole rose by 0.41% in the second quarter, a significant rebound after the 0.21% in the first quarter. This is mainly due to the improvement in the figures for the United States, although other countries, particularly Spain, also contributed.

DIGITAL PREVENTION

Cybersecurity travels too: how to protect your data when you're on the move

When a professional travels for work and needs to continue working using their usual resources, this often involves using the company's digital assets, such as mobile devices, passwords, access to databases, files, or cloud services, etc. In this context, given the possibility of working in security environments that often have security standards that could be improved, it is necessary to consider a series of threats to prevent unwanted situations.

We must therefore be especially vigilant about unencrypted connections to public Wi-Fi networks, which allow third parties to intercept communications. We must also be aware of the possibility of phishing or malware in malicious applications or unpatched vulnerabilities, especially on mobile phones and tablets, as well as unauthorized access to corporate accounts due to the lack of multi-factor authentication.

Therefore, whether you're traveling for leisure or business, you should be aware that it may entail certain digital risks. Understanding how to protect your personal data while traveling is a priority, so we offer some practical tips to protect your digital information if you have to travel:

1. Avoid unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Free Wi-Fi connections, like those found in airports, hotels, or coffee shops, are convenient but also vulnerable to cyberattacks. Hackers can intercept your data, such as passwords or banking information. In any case, if you need to connect to a public network, avoid making important transactions such as online purchases or accessing your bank account. It's also advisable to disable the automatic connection to Wi-Fi networks feature on your device.

2. Update your devices and apps. Devices with outdated software are more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Keeping your systems up-to-date ensures you have the latest security measures in place. Also, make sure you have antivirus software installed and active, and review app permissions to limit access to sensitive information.

3. Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Using simple or repeated passwords across multiple accounts can make it easier for hackers to gain access. It's a good idea to create complex passwords with combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters. Two-factor authentication also adds an extra layer of security to important services like email and social media.

4. Turn off Bluetooth and location when not in use. Bluetooth and location tracking can be used by hackers to access your devices. Therefore, it's important to keep them turned off when not in use.

5. Back up your personal data before traveling. Before you travel, be sure to back up your important information. This will protect you in case your device is lost or stolen. To do this, save your files to the cloud and make a local copy on an external drive.

In any case, despite the preventive measures that We implement it, there's no doubt that absolute security doesn't exist, which is why we could fall victim to a cyberattack. If this is the case, the first thing to do is immediately inform the company's security and IT team, if applicable. From there, we'll need to assess the severity of the incident and analyze what information has been compromised, what the potential consequences are, and inform those affected if necessary.

Depending on the severity of the incident, it's important to assess whether we should report it to the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). If the incident is very serious and occurs abroad, we can always consult with the corresponding Spanish embassy in the destination country. In any case, it's always important to emphasize that companies should have a protocol in place to respond to a cyberattack, as this is the best way to prevent further damage.

The Official State Gazette (BOE) has published Law 5/2025, of July 24, which regulates, with effect from January 1, 2025, a new deduction for earned income with the aim of limiting the tax increase for those earning the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI).

This new deduction for work income aims to avoid harm to those who receive the SMI, which, as is known, was set at 2025 16,576 euros per year.

Thus, with effect from 1 January 2025, workers or statutory personnel with employment income less than 18,276 euros per year will enjoy this deduction.

The condition is that they must not have income other than these exceeding €6,500, excluding exempt income. If they exceed the limit for other income, they would not be entitled to it.

Amount of the deduction

Additionally, a limit is established so that this deduction does not exceed the portion of the total state and regional contributions that corresponds proportionally to the net income from work derived from the actual provision of services.

Its amount is subtracted from the total net tax liability, once the deduction for international double taxation has been applied.

The Tax Agency will begin reporting errors and discrepancies in the Income Tax Return in September.

Although the Income Tax campaign ended on June 30, a new phase now begins: the review of tax returns by the Tax Agency, with the implementation of notifications sent to taxpayers, especially self-employed workers, who present discrepancies or irregularities in their returns.

They do not entail an immediate sanction, but they do require a response or correction. This year, more than 80,000 letters, exceeding the figures from the previous year.

Thus, in September, the Tax Agency will begin reporting any errors it may have detected in the Income Tax Return. These discrepancies can range from misapplied or unjustified deductions to income that the Treasury is aware of through cross-referencing data but that has not been included in the return.

According to the Treasury Technicians' Union (Gestha), the Tax Agency's usual annual schedule forces it to postpone the first notifications until after August, given that until then, officials devote virtually all their efforts to filtering and paying out unreported tax returns.

The control process does not end with the first refunds. The Treasury has a period of up to four years to review any tax.

TODAY COMMERCIAL

The CNMC finds no risks to competition in the reform that reduces accounting obligations for SMEs.

The National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) has not identified any risks to competition in the reform that reduces accounting obligations for SMEs, although it has proposed better justification of the thresholds chosen and suggests measures to avoid potential negative effects. In this regard, the CNMC has approved the report on the preliminary draft law modifying the size criteria for companies or groups of companies for corporate reporting purposes.

The reform, which transposes European regulations, will allow a greater number of companies (SMEs) to reduce their accounting obligations. Among other effects, more entities will be able to prepare abbreviated balance sheets and statements of changes in equity, be exempt from auditing, or be considered SMEs for the purposes of the Audit Law. However, the CNMC has positively assessed the introduction of modulation measures to allow operators of different sizes to compete in the market, as is the case with SMEs.

Although it does not see any unnecessary or disproportionate restrictions on competition, the CNMC suggests considering the use of an instrument to automatically update thresholds when certain circumstances (e.g., high inflation) are met throughout the EU. It also recommends strengthening the justification for the thresholds chosen in Spain within the scope permitted by European regulations. Furthermore, it suggests minimizing potential negative effects of the regulations (e.g., operators being able to offer less reliable financial solvency to third-party investors) with complementary measures.

Finally, it proposes coordinating the new thresholds with other European instruments that also use business size criteria, such as those related to state aid.

Launch of the Independent Whistleblower Protection Authority

The Independent Whistleblower Protection Authority (IWPA) will begin operating on September 1st. As established in Article 2 of Royal Decree 1101/2024, of October 29th, which approves the IWPA Statute, its purposes include ensuring the protection of whistleblowers.

This is the independent administrative authority at the national level competent to supervise, inspect, and sanction, in accordance with the application of Law 2/2023, of February 20, regulating the protection of persons who report regulatory violations and the fight against corruption.

Under the Whistleblower Protection Act, any person, within a work or professional context, may report to the company or public administration potential serious or very serious criminal or administrative violations that have occurred or are occurring in the company's activities, through an information system or reporting channel that guarantees the confidentiality and, if requested, the anonymity of the reporting person's data. The purpose of the law is to protect the whistleblower from retaliation.

The entities required to implement this information system or reporting channel, which guarantees confidentiality and, where appropriate, anonymity, are regulated in Articles 10 and 13 of the Law. These include, among others, companies with more than 50 employees, all public administrations, business organizations (such as professional associations), universities, political parties, unions, and foundations dependent on the aforementioned and receiving public funds. This channel must meet certain requirements, as well as designate a person responsible for its operation, whether internal or external to the organization. Within this framework, the AAI is responsible for supervising the proper functioning of the channel, protecting the informant, ensuring that the facts are effectively investigated, and ensuring that appropriate measures are taken.

To ensure the organization's operation, the Government will provide support until November 1st in several areas: human resources, infrastructure and logistics, contracting and financial management, IT equipment and communications networks, and the creation of its website. However, this deadline may be extended as required.

It's worth remembering that Minister Bolaños announced the creation of this body in October 2024 and assured that it will be independent from the Government or any other administration, although it will remain organizationally and budgetarily registered with his Ministry until it has its own budget.

CURRENTLY WORKING

The Supreme Court strengthens formal worker protections against disciplinary sanctions

The Supreme Court has declared null a disciplinary sanction of 60 days of suspension from employment and pay imposed on an employee, after finding that the company did not set a date for the sanction to be fulfilled nor establish an objective criterion for its execution, leaving such determination to the sole discretion of the employer.

The ruling emphasizes that disciplinary sanctions must strictly comply with the formal guarantees provided for in the Workers' Statute. The failure to specify a specific date or timeframe constitutes a serious defect that invalidates the measure.

The case concerns an employee sanctioned for refusing to return to a new shift after being on sick leave, after it was discovered that he was working for another company during that time. The company imposed the sanction, but in the written communication, it did not indicate when the penalty would begin, merely stating that it would be carried out when management indicated.

The Supreme Court emphasizes that Article 58.2 of the Workers' Statute requires that the sanction be communicated in writing, stating the facts and the effective date. It cannot be substituted with vague or indeterminate terms.

The three-week extension of the birth and childcare leave has been approved.

The Government has approved a three-week extension of maternity and childcare leave, increasing it from 16 weeks to 19, and doubling it from 16 to 32 weeks for single-parent families, where almost 80% of parents are women. This improves protection for parents and children, joint responsibility if there are two parents, and the right to work-life balance.

The new three weeks, which will be covered by extending the duration of the Social Security benefit for birth and child care, will also be managed by the National Social Security Institute (INSS). The 19 weeks of the benefit are structured as follows: the birth and child care benefit is increased by one week, up to a total of 17 weeks, of equal duration and non-transferable between both parents, and 28 weeks in the case of single-parent families, during the first 12 months of the baby's life, or, in the case of adoption, guardianship, or foster care in the first year, following a judicial or administrative ruling; in weekly periods or cumulatively.

The requirement that the first six weeks be taken uninterruptedly, working full-time, immediately following birth or adoption, foster care, or guardianship remains in place. These changes take effect immediately. In addition, families will also be able to enjoy two additional weeks of childcare leave, four in the case of single parents, on a flexible basis until their child reaches 8 years of age. Families whose children were born on or after August 2, 2024, will be eligible retroactively. This right can be requested starting January 1, 2026.

The childbirth and childcare benefit is an individual right of the working person and is not transferable to the other parent. In 2021, it replaced the previous maternity and paternity benefits and made them equal. The expansion and equalization of this leave has allowed the exercise of this right to become widespread among male fathers on an equal footing with mothers.

The amount of these benefits is equivalent to 100% of the regulatory base and is paid directly by the INSS (National Social Security Institute) for the duration of the leave. The INSS offers the option of applying for the childbirth benefit online, through the "Your Social Security" portal. Successive periods of leave for the birth or childcare can also be applied for online, if the parents choose to divide the period.

NEWS

 

IL Coworking & Legal Services expands its facilities

Thanks to the good reception it has had IL Coworking & Legal Services Since its opening, we have good news to share with you: we have expanded our job offering, thanks to the expansion and renovation we undertook during the summer.

This way, you now have new workstations, just as bright and practical as the ones we've been offering up to now, so you can have greater access to our shared workspace and in the best possible conditions, in terms of comfort and accessibility.

With this initiative, we're able to significantly expand our job offerings and availability, making it easier for you to access our facilities whenever you need them. Don't hesitate to contact us with any needs you may have.