Partial Retirement AGE 2026: requirements, work hour reductions and mandatory full-time replacement worker

Key data

Fixed labor staff of the General State Administration who wish to opt for partial retirement have had an updated framework of management instructions since June 9, 2026. The Resolution from the State Secretariat for Public Service adapts the procedure to RDL 11/2024, which as of April 2025 requires the replacement worker to be hired on a permanent basis and at full-time, eliminating the possibility of part-time replacement workers that existed previously.

This change has direct consequences for workforce planning in AGE organizations: each approved partial retirement automatically generates the need for a permanent full-time hire, with the associated cost and administrative burden.

What does this regulation establish?

The Resolution updates the management instructions for partial retirement for fixed labor staff of the IV Single Agreement of the AGE, incorporating the changes introduced by RDL 11/2024. The key points are as follows:

Requirements to access partial retirement

Work hour reduction ranges

The work hour reduction must be between 25% and 75% of the usual working hours. The regulation contemplates two reference working hours in the AGE:

• Working hours of 35 hours per week
• Working hours of 37.5 hours per week

The worker can accumulate the reduced working hours in complete periods: days, weeks, months or the entire remaining time until ordinary retirement.

Replacement worker obligation (change from previous regulation)

As of April 2025, in application of RDL 11/2024, the replacement worker must be hired under the following conditions:

• Contract of permanent nature
• Full-time working hours (part-time is not admitted)

This is the most significant change compared to previous instructions, which allowed part-time replacement workers.

Processing

Requests must be submitted exclusively in electronic form through the Funciona Portal, with a minimum advance notice of 3 months with respect to the date on which partial retirement is to begin.

Economic and operational impact

The obligation to hire the replacement worker at full-time and on a permanent basis has a direct impact on the personnel budgets of AGE organizations. Unlike the previous model—where the replacement worker could cover only the fraction of working hours released—the Administration must now assume the cost of an additional full-time position while the worker in partial retirement continues to receive part of their salary.

From an operational perspective, this implies:

• Greater need for advance budget planning in HR units.
• Increased administrative burden from processing permanent contracts.
• Possible impact on public employment offers, by generating new positions to be filled.
• The accumulation of working hours in blocks (days, weeks, months or the entire remaining period) offers operational flexibility, but requires planning of the worker's effective presence.

Who does it affect?

• Fixed labor staff of the AGE subject to the IV Single Agreement who are approaching retirement age (up to 3 years before).
• HR units and personnel management of the ministries and organizations of the General State Administration.
• Budget planning managers in public organizations, due to the impact on workforce costs.
• Workers with recognized disability equal to or greater than 33%, who have specific conditions (25 years of contributions instead of 33).
• Labor advisors and unions who advise public labor employees on their retirement rights.

Practical example

A fixed labor worker at a ministry of the AGE, with a working schedule of 35 hours per week, 38 years of contributions and 8 years of seniority in the Administration, is 62 years old and the ordinary retirement age is 65. He meets all requirements (he is within the 3-year margin, exceeds 33 years of contributions and 6 years of seniority).

He requests a reduction of 50% of working hours (17.5 hours per week), accumulated in monthly blocks to be able to be absent for entire alternate months. The request must be submitted through the Funciona Portal at least 3 months before the start date.

The organization must hire a replacement worker on a permanent basis and at full-time (35 hours), assuming the full cost of that position, even though the worker in partial retirement has only released half of their working hours. This is the direct economic impact of the change introduced by RDL 11/2024.

What should HR units do now?

1. Review pending or ongoing requests for partial retirement to verify that they meet the new requirements of RDL 11/2024 (permanent replacement worker at full-time).
2. Update internal processing procedures to require permanent and full-time hiring of the replacement worker in all new cases.
3. Verify that the requesting worker meets the four requirements: fixed labor staff at full-time, within the 3-year margin for ordinary retirement, minimum 6 years of seniority in the Administration and 33 years of contributions (25 if they have disability ≥33%).
4. Process all requests exclusively through the Funciona Portal, in electronic format, with at least 3 months' advance notice with respect to the desired start date.
5. Plan the budget impact of each approved partial retirement, taking into account that it generates a replacement worker position at full-time and permanent.
6. Inform eligible workers about the possibility of accumulating reduced working hours in blocks (days, weeks, months or the entire remaining period), to facilitate planning for both parties.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-12513