On November 11, the Statute of Culture Professionals was approved by Decree‑Law No. 115/2021, establishing for the first time a comprehensive regime aimed at creating good working conditions for professionals in the sector.
The Statute recognizes the need for an autonomous legal framework for the culture sector, given its specific characteristics. It is a sector marked by intermittency, seasonality, lack of stability, and multiple legal relationships that often depart from standard employment models in other areas. The Statute seeks to respond to these needs.
Its purpose is twofold: to regulate professional activity and to establish a social protection regime that supports culture professionals in all eventualities. In essence, the Statute covers three main themes:
- the Registry of Culture Professionals (RPAC)
- the employment contract and service‑provision regime
- the social protection regime
Registry of Culture Professionals (RPAC)
The Statute creates the RPAC, a voluntary registry that is nonetheless necessary to access the special contribution scheme. Registration serves two purposes: individual identification and the production of statistics to support policy‑making and public funding. Registration is handled by the General Inspectorate for Cultural Activities (IGAC).
Employment and Service‑Provision Regime
One innovation is that the Statute also covers workers engaged under service‑provision arrangements, granting them specific rights on payment deadlines and event cancellations. For employment contracts, it sets specific rules for workplace and working hours, taking into account rehearsal spaces and the particular nature of performances.
Social Protection Regime
The Statute provides social protection, within the Social Security system, in cases of illness, parenthood, unemployment, disability, and old age. A key novelty is a new allowance for the suspension of cultural activity, applicable to very short‑term contracts and self‑employed workers, without requiring them to cease activity with the tax and social security authorities.
Marta Vera-Cruz | [email protected]
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