Colombia

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Score
improved

2024 Score

75.5

2022 Score

73

2020 Score

73

Rating

Reasonable Access to Decent Work

Fair
Wages

80

Decent
Working Hours

80

Employment
Security

60

Family
Responsibilities

50

Maternity
at Work

100

Safe
Work

75

Social
Security

100

Fair
Treatment

60

Child &
Forced Labour

75

Freedom of
Association

75

1. Fair Wages
2. Decent Working Hours
3. Employment Security
4. Family Responsibilities
5. Maternity at Work
6. Safe Work
7. Social Security
8. Fair Treatment
9. Child & Forced Labour
10. Freedom of Association

Fair Wages - 80

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the legislation or collective negotiation set and determine the minimum wages in the country? Yes 1 §53 of the Constitution of Colombia 1991; §1, 4, 145-148 & 486 of the Substantive Labour Code 1950
No Change
Does the law require regular and timely payment of wages? Yes 1 §134-140 & 149-153 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require overtime compensation to be at least 125% of the regular hourly rate? Yes 1 Section 168 of the Substantive Labour Code 1950
No Change
Does the law require any additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day? No 0 §180 & 181 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require additional compensation for night work? Yes 1 §160 & 168 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change

Decent Working Hours - 80

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law stipulate general weekly working hours as 48 hours or lower? Yes 1 §161-168 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law restrict maximum working hours, including overtime, to 56 hours per week? No 0 §161 and 164 of the Substantive Labour Code 1950
No Change
Does the law require a paid weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours? Yes 1 §179 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require paid public holidays? Yes 1 §177 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require at least three working weeks of paid annual leave? Yes 1 §186 -192 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change

Employment Security - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require a written employment contract or employment particulars to be given to a worker on commencement of employment? Yes 1 §22, 37-39, 45 & 49 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law restrict the hiring of fixed-term contract workers? No 0 §46 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law limit the length of the probation period, including renewals, to three months? Yes 1 §76-80 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require a 30-day notice period before employment contract termination? No 0 §47, 61 & 62 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require severance pay at the rate of at least two weeks of wages for every year of service? Yes 1 §64 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950; §67 of the Law No. 50 of 1990
No Change

Family Responsibilities - 50

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require a four-month parental leave for parents? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require at least one week of paid paternity leave for fathers*? Yes 1 §236 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950; §2 of the Ley 2114 de 2021
No Change
Does the law require flexible working arrangements* for workers with family responsibilities? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require paid nursing breaks? Yes 1 §238 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950; Law 1823 of 2017
No Change

Maternity at Work - 100

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law prohibit inquiring about pregnancy during recruitment? Yes 1 Resolution No. 4050 of 1994; §241 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950; §3 of Law No. 2114 of 2021
No Change
Does the law require maternity leave of at least 14 weeks? Yes 1 §236-237 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be at least two-thirds (66.67%) of a worker's former wage? Yes 1 §236 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950; §157 & 207 of Law no. 100 of 1993
No Change
Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be paid through a contributory social insurance or a universal benefits system or such benefits are an employer's liability? Yes 1 §236 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950; §157 & 207 of Law no. 100 of 1993
No Change
Does the law protect workers from dismissals during or on account of pregnancy? Yes 1 §239 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change

Safe Work - 75

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require employers to provide free personal protective equipment to workers? Yes 1 §122-124 of the Ley núm. 9 del 24 de enero de 1979 por la que se dictan Medidas Sanitarias
No Change
Does the law require employers to train workers on health and safety Issues? Yes 1 §21 of Decree 1295 of 1994; §54 of the Constitution of Colombia 1991; §24 of the Decree No. 614 of 1984
No Change
Does the law restrict work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child? No 0 §242 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law provide for employment injury benefits in the event of an occupational accident or disease? Yes 1 §02-13 of the Law No. 776 of 2002; ISSA Country Profile for Colombia
No Change

Social Security - 100

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law provide for an old age benefit? Yes 1 §33-37 of the Law No. 100 of 1993; ISSA Country Profile for Colombia
No Change
Does the law provide for survivors' benefits? Yes 1 §46-49 of the Law No. 100 of 1993; ISSA Country Profile for Colombia
No Change
Does the law provide for unemployment benefits? Yes 1 §12-17 of Ley 1636 De 2013; §249 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law require paid sick leave (and sickness benefits) for the first six months of sickness? Yes 1 §227-228 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law provide for invalidity benefits? Yes 1 §38-45 of the Law No. 100 of 1993, ISSA Country Profile for Colombia
No Change

Fair Treatment - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value? Yes 1 §53 of the Constitution of Colombia 1991; §10 & 143 of the Substantive Labour Code 1950
No Change
Does the law prohibit sexual harassment in employment? Yes 1 §134B & 210 of the Penal Code (Law 599 of 2000); §1-12 of the Law No. 1010 of 2006; Resoluciones 652 y 1356 de 2012
No Change
Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment matters? Yes 1 §134A & C of the Penal Code, 2000; §22-34 of the Law 361 of 1997; §239 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law allow women to do the same job as men? No 0 §26 of the Constitution of Colombia 1991; §11 & 242 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law guarantee basic labour protection to the platform workers? No 0 Law no. 100 of 1993; ISSA Country Profile for Colombia
No Change

Child & Forced Labour - 75

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law prohibit the employment of children? Yes 1 §35 of the Code on Childhood & Adolescence, 2006
No Change
Does the law set employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age? No 0 §28 & 35 of the Code on Childhood & Adolescence, 2006; Decree 4807 of 2011
No Change
Does the law prohibit the employment of young persons in hazardous work under the age of 18 years? Yes 1 §117 of the Code on Childhood & Adolescence, 2006
No Change
Does the law prohibit forced labour? Yes 1 §17 of the Constitution, 1991; §141 & 188A of the Penal Code, 2000
No Change

Freedom of Association - 75

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice? Yes 1 §39 of the Constitution of Colombia 1991; §353-367 of the Substantive Labour Code, 1950
No Change
Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions? Yes 1 §55 of the Constitution of Colombia 1991; §467-480 of the Substantive Labour Code 1950
No Change
Does the law provide the right to strike? No 0 §56, Constitution of Colombia 1991; §430, Substantive Labour Code 1950; CEACR C87 Obs. 2023; ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 (Colombia Profile)
No Change
Does the law prohibit imposing excessive sanctions against striking workers, including replacement of such workers? Yes 1 §450(2) of the Substantive Labour Code 1950; CEACR C87 Obs. 2020
Score adjusted because of availability of a legal source

*In order to measure the trend in country’s legislative performance over the last edition of the Labour Rights Index (2022), the following legend is used.

Score increase

Score decrease

Score adjustment

Methodological change

No change

Colombia Labour Law

Colombia Minimum Wage

Labour Law Global overview

Minimum Wage Global overview