Gemma Torres, the former president of the Canary Islands Blood Institute, has been awarded over €7,000 in unpaid holiday compensation after a court determined she had not taken any leave during her year and a half in the role. However, the court rejected her claim for severance pay following her dismissal in December 2024, which came after it was revealed she had falsely claimed to have a law degree.
The ruling from the Administrative Tribunal in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria found that the Canary Islands Health Service failed to prove that Torres took any holidays during her tenure. The only evidence presented was automatic email responses from her institutional account, which the judge deemed inadequate to confirm her absences.
Although the Health Department argued that Torres did not keep a clock-in system, the judge noted that any public employee is required to request time off, and this should be documented. The payment of €7,481.59 was made by the administration at the end of August, five months after the ruling, as compensation for the holidays owed to her.
Torres had claimed over €11,000 for various reasons, with the Health Department acknowledging some claims, such as proportional bonus payments. However, they disputed claims for severance pay and holiday compensation for the years 2023 and 2024.
When she was appointed, Torres could either pay into unemployment insurance or receive a severance payment upon leaving. The court concluded that because she had chosen to pay into the unemployment fund, she had effectively waived her right to severance pay.
Torres, a former head of the blood donation agency, recently disclosed the payment and insisted that she had dedicated herself entirely to her role, stating that she did not take any breaks due to the chaotic situation she inherited. She attributed her departure from the government to “political and personal circumstances” and claimed her commitment to the position was not valued compared to personal relationships within the Health Department, led by Esther Monzón.
