Colombia’s legal maximum workweek will fall from 44 to 42 hours on 15 July 2026, completing the gradual reduction established by Law 2101 of 2021. The transition began with a 48-hour maximum, and employers cannot reduce workers’ monthly salaries or social benefits in proportion to the shorter schedule. Businesses must instead review working-time arrangements and payroll calculations, particularly for overtime and applicable surcharges for night work, Sundays and holidays.
The new limit applies to private-sector employees, while public-sector workers are not automatically included. The reform preserves salary, benefits and health and pension contributions, but distributes the same monthly remuneration across fewer ordinary hours. Each ordinary hour so carries a higher value, affecting the calculation of overtime and relevant surcharges. Colombia’s public-administration authority, Función Pública, has explained that the law keeps salaries, benefits and contributions intact while changing payments for additional time and applicable surcharges.
Labour law specialist Laura Pérez explains that the reform leaves basic employment obligations unchanged but requires employers to redistribute working time within the new legal cap. The 42 hours may be spread over five or six days, provided the weekly rest day is respected. The legal structure sets no universal start or finish time for every employee: schedules must comply with applicable daily and weekly limits, statutory exceptions and mandatory rest periods. This flexibility calls for a careful review of shift systems, especially in sectors with continuous operations or rotating teams.
The reduction also changes the monthly calculation of ordinary working time. In 2026, the standard will be 182 working hours per month, with 214 hours included in the salary and a monthly reduction of 8.67 hours compared with previous years. These figures reflect a steady decrease from the 208 monthly hours calculated in 2022, as the statutory workweek falls from 48 to 42 hours. Since the monthly salary remains unchanged, payroll teams must use the applicable ordinary-hour base to calculate additional work rather than treat the shorter week as a proportional salary cut.
Article 165 of Colombia’s Código Sustantivo del Trabajo has been updated to reflect the new limits: from July 2026, the maximum will be 42 hours per week and 126 hours over any three-week period. Rules governing night, Sunday and holiday work remain relevant, but the reduced ordinary-hour base changes the calculations for applicable surcharges and overtime payments. Employers should update payroll formulas and records so hours beyond the applicable ordinary schedule are identified and paid correctly.
The 42-hour cap applies to legally counted working time, not necessarily the total time an employee is present at the workplace. Under Article 167 of the Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, an intermediate meal break is generally excluded from effective working time unless the parties agree otherwise. An eight-hour workday with a one-hour meal break, for example, can mean nine hours on the premises but only eight hours worked. Schedules and time records should distinguish working hours from breaks. The Ministry of Labour is responsible for addressing compliance issues.
Industries with high shift rotation or continuous service, including hospitality, tourism, commerce, healthcare, transport, security, manufacturing and certain industrial activities, face particular planning challenges. To maintain coverage within the shorter ordinary week, some businesses may need to redesign shift cycles, adjust staffing or absorb higher costs for additional hours. With the final reduction from 44 to 42 hours, companies should assess whether existing rosters exceed the new ordinary threshold.
Employers who fail to adjust risk financial penalties for unrecognised overtime or incorrect payroll calculations, along with administrative sanctions from the Ministry of Labour and possible legal action from employees. The law sets no single model for organising shifts, but companies must ensure schedules meet the new limits and payroll systems correctly account for overtime and applicable surcharges.
Colombia’s labour code aims to balance employers’ operating needs with workers’ rights. The gradual reduction of the workweek is intended to improve work-life balance without reducing pay. Information from the International Labour Organization, several countries in Latin America and Europe have adopted similar measures in recent years, reflecting a broader shift towards shorter working hours as a standard for modern employment.
