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This text analyses the Spanish public employment model on the basis of reforms introduced by legislation on the employment status of public employees in 2007, which for the first time in the democratic era gave civil servants an official status. This legislation introduced a dual structure, with civil servants and staff who have a contract governed by labour law. However, the standard use of contracts governed by social law is taking place in a legal framework which has a common system of principles and rules, notably with regard to access and career progress. The contractual relationship is thus heavily supervised and above all regulated by administrative law. In parallel, the introduction of human resources management tools that are specific to private enterprise – but in a system based on administrative law – and the clear and unequivocal acceptance of the right to be represented and to collective bargaining means that there has been a break with the old system dominated by unilateralism. The privatisation of the civil service’s legal system and the “public-isation” of the system governing contracts established under regular labour law for other staff are the two notable characteristics of the new public sector employee model in Spain. This model standardises the basic principles by diversifying the sectoral and territorial applications.