Colombia Workweek Drops to 42 Hours: What Changes
Colombia · Politics
Key Facts
—New cap. As of 15 July 2026, the maximum ordinary workweek in Colombia is 42 hours.
—Legal basis. Law 2101 of 2021 amended the Labour Code to phase down the cap from 48 to 42 hours.
—Pay protected. The reduction does not lower monthly wages or social benefits for covered workers.
—Overtime trigger. Any hour worked beyond 42 per week must be paid at overtime rates.
—Who is covered. The rule applies to private-sector employees; public-sector workers are not automatically included.
On 15 July 2026, Colombia took the final step in a four-year journey, lowering the maximum ordinary workweek from 44 hours to 42 hours without cutting pay.
The Gradual Path to 42 Hours
Law 2101 of 2021, which amended Article 161 of the Colombian Labour Code, set a phased schedule to shrink the legal cap from 48 hours to 42 hours. Each step arrived on 15 July, moving from 47 hours in 2023 to 46 in 2024, then 44 in 2025, and finally 42 this year.
The reform was designed to give companies time to reorganize shifts and budgets. The law covers private-sector employees whose hours fall under the ordinary maximum workweek, which can be distributed across five or six days by mutual agreement.
What a Worker Gains in Colombia
For a full-time private-sector employee, the change is simple on paper. As of mid-July, an employer cannot require more than 42 ordinary hours per week, and every hour worked beyond that threshold must be paid as overtime, with the corresponding surcharge.
Monthly wages and social benefits stay intact. A worker who was earning the legal minimum wage of COP 2,000,000 per month will not see a pay cut, and the same is true for those earning higher salaries tied to an ordinary weekly schedule.
The practical benefit is time. A person who had been working 44 hours now has two extra hours per week, which over a year adds up to roughly 104 fewer hours on the job.
That time can go to family, study, or rest without a smaller paycheck.
The Employer’s Side of the Equation
For a business owner in Colombia, the 42-hour cap reshapes the cost structure. Because pay remains unchanged while hours fall, the hourly labor cost rises automatically, making a worker earning the same monthly wage for fewer hours more expensive per hour worked.
Overtime exposure also grows. A schedule that once fit neatly inside a 44-hour frame may now spill one or two hours into overtime territory, forcing employers in sectors like retail, manufacturing, and security to redraw rosters, hire additional staff, or accept higher payroll costs.
The gradual rollout helped, but the final step still demands adjustment. A small restaurant in Medellín that relied on a six-day schedule may need to hire a part-time cook or pay overtime to cover the same shifts, while larger firms with union agreements have renegotiated workday distributions to stay compliant.
Background: Why Colombia Reformed Its Workweek
Before Law 2101, Colombia had one of Latin America’s longest standard workweeks at 48 hours, a ceiling that had been in place for decades. The push to lower it gained momentum as lawmakers and labor advocates argued that shorter hours would improve quality of life and bring Colombia closer to international norms.
The reform passed Congress with support from unions and worker-rights groups, who framed it as a necessary modernization of the Labour Code. Business associations, while not blocking the law, warned from the start that a 12.5 percent drop in ordinary hours over four years would squeeze margins in labor-intensive industries. Our reporting has shown that the broader labor overhaul championed by President Gustavo Petro, including a separate reform that further restricts the workday and increases holiday pay, has deepened those cost concerns for employers.
For foreign investors and expat employers, the change aligns Colombia more closely with working-time standards in many OECD countries, where a 40-hour week is common. However, the transition also adds a layer of complexity for anyone running a payroll in the country, especially smaller operations without dedicated human-resources staff.
What It Means for Expats and Investors
An expat running a digital agency in Bogotá or a café in Cartagena now faces a higher effective hourly wage bill for local staff. If you employ private-sector workers, you must ensure that ordinary weekly schedules do not exceed 42 hours, or you will trigger overtime surcharges that can quickly inflate operating costs.
For foreign investors considering Colombia as a nearshoring or manufacturing base, the tighter cap changes the labor-cost calculus. While monthly wages remain competitive by regional standards, the reduction in ordinary hours means that output per peso of salary must be carefully measured, especially in shift-based operations.
On the personal side, an expat working remotely for a foreign company is generally not covered by Colombian labor law for that overseas role. However, if you hold a local employment contract with a Colombian entity, the 42-hour cap and its overtime protections apply to you just as they do to any other private-sector employee.
Compliance and the Road Ahead
The Ministry of Labor is responsible for enforcing the new cap. Employers who exceed 42 ordinary hours without paying overtime face fines and potential labor lawsuits, and inspectors can review time records and interview workers to verify compliance.
Public-sector employees are not automatically covered by Law 2101, though some government entities may adopt similar schedules through internal rules. The law’s backers call the reform a landmark labor-rights measure that modernizes working conditions in Colombia, while business groups acknowledge the social goal but stress that higher hourly costs and scheduling complexity will continue to challenge small and medium-sized companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 42-hour workweek apply to all workers in Colombia?
No. The cap applies to private-sector employees covered by the ordinary maximum workweek under the Labour Code. Public-sector workers are not automatically included, and some special schedules may differ under collective agreements or specific industry rules.
Can an employer reduce a worker’s salary because of fewer hours?
No. Law 2101 explicitly protects wages and social benefits. The reduction in ordinary hours cannot be used as a reason to lower monthly pay, and any attempt to do so would violate the Labour Code and expose the employer to legal claims.
What happens if a company needs someone to work more than 42 hours?
Hours worked beyond 42 in a week must be paid as overtime, with surcharges set by the Labour Code. To manage the cap, employers typically adjust shifts, redistribute hours across five or six days by mutual agreement, or hire additional staff to avoid recurring overtime costs.
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