Leave policy in Colombia

The Código Sustantivo del Trabajo (Substantive Labor Code, or CST) spells out the leave policy in Colombia. This includes annual leave, sick leave, parental leave, and several other types of time off. That being said, the leave laws in Colombia are evolving. 

Colombia operates in time zones that align well with North America, making real-time collaboration easier for distributed teams. At the same time, lower living costs compared to the U.S. allow companies to offer competitive compensation while managing hiring budgets effectively. However, if you plan to hire in Colombia, it’s important to understand and comply with local employment laws to ensure your business operates compliantly.

Read on to learn about the leave entitlements in Colombia and how an Employer of Record (EOR) can help you efficiently onboard, pay, and manage talent there.

Vacation/annual leave in Colombia

After 12 months of continuous service, employees get 15 business days of paid annual leave in Colombia. 

A few rules worth noting: 

• Employees must use at least six consecutive business days each year. 
• Employers need to give at least 15 days’ advance notice of approved vacation dates. 
• Vacation is typically counted in business days (Monday through Friday), not calendar days. 
• Public holidays in Colombia don’t factor into the vacation balance and are paid separately.

If someone leaves the company before using their accrued time off, the employer must pay out the unused portion as part of the final settlement, if there was a prior agreement. 

Colombian law doesn’t add extra vacation days for long tenure, though some employers choose to offer more as a perk.

Public holidays in Colombia

Colombia has 18 paid public holidays per year, among the most in Latin America.

• When a holiday falls on a weekday other than Monday, it’s shifted to the following Monday. 
• Colombians call these long weekends puentes festivos (holiday bridges). Easter, Independence Day (July 20), Immaculate Conception (December 8), and Christmas (December 25) are always observed on their actual dates, no shifting.

Workers get paid time off on every national holiday. If they work on one, they’re owed premium pay. 

For payroll teams, this means tracking which holidays apply and calculating any premium payments accurately.

Here is the holiday calendar for Colombia:

• New Year’s Day
• Epiphany (observed)
• Saint Joseph’s Day (observed)
• Maundy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Labor Day
• Ascension Day (observed)
• Corpus Christi (observed)
• Sacred Heart (observed)
• Saints Peter and Paul (observed)
• Independence Day
• Battle of Boyacá
• Assumption of Mary (observed)
• Columbus Day / Day of the Race (observed)
• All Saints’ Day (observed)
• Independence of Cartagena (observed)
• Immaculate Conception
• Christmas Day

Some religious holiday dates shift year to year. It’s worth double-checking the official Colombia holiday calendar annually.

Sick leave in Colombia

Employees can take up to 180 days of paid sick leave for non-work-related illnesses. 

They’ll need a medical certificate from a practitioner recognized by Colombia’s Social Security system (EPS).

Pay during sick leave in Colombia is fulfilled as follows: 

Maternity leave in Colombia

New mothers receive 18 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. 

• At least one week must be taken before the due date. The rest falls after delivery. Alternatively, the employee can choose two weeks before and 16 weeks after the delivery of the child. 
• Female employees are eligible to get 100% of their regular salary, funded by the Social Security system (EPS). The employer fronts the cost and gets reimbursed.

Additional paid time off in Colombia extends to premature births. Similarly, multiple births add two extra weeks. In addition, a miscarriage grants two to four weeks of paid leave, depending on the medical assessment.

Maternity leave entitlements in Colombia

• Employers cannot terminate someone during pregnancy or within a protected window after they return. 
• They also can’t ask female job candidates about reproductive plans or require pregnancy tests, unless it’s needed for occupational health reasons. 
• For the first six months after childbirth, employers must provide two 30-minute breastfeeding breaks per day. These are paid breaks and should be factored into scheduling.

Paternity leave in Colombia

New fathers get two weeks (14 calendar days) of paid paternity leave in Colombia. 

Pay is 100% of the salary. Same setup as maternity: the employer pays first, then claims reimbursement from the EPS. 

Other types of leave in Colombia

Beyond vacation and parental leave, the statutory leave in Colombia provides coverage for several other situations:

Shared parental leave

Parents can split the last six weeks of maternity leave in Colombia between them, as long as both agree. The first 12 weeks after birth stay with the mother; those aren’t transferable.

There’s a part-time option too. Starting from the 13th week, the mother can request to work half-days, which stretches out the remaining leave. 

Fathers can do the same from their second week of paternity leave. 

Leave pay is based on the salary of whichever parent takes it. Both parents receive job protection for the full duration of their leave period.

Adoption leave

Adoptive parents get the same deal as biological parents. The primary caregiver receives 18 weeks of fully paid leave, starting from the date the child is placed with them. The other parent gets the standard two weeks. Job protections apply equally.

Bereavement leave

Employees receive five working days of paid bereavement leave if a close family member passes away. That includes a spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild.

Voting leave

Employees get paid time off in Colombia for half-a-day to vote in public elections. The employee needs to show a valid voting certificate afterwards.

Family day leave

Employees get two days of paid leave every year, typically distributed one per semester to spend time with family. 

Explore Payoneer Workforce Management in Colombia

Between generous public holidays, tiered sick leave payments, and evolving leave laws in Colombia, there’s a lot to keep track of when managing a team in Colombia. 

It helps when businesses partner with a workforce management provider that offers guidance. 

Payoneer Workforce Management helps businesses onboard, pay, and manage employees in 160+ countries, including Colombia, without setting up a local entity. 

As your Employer of Record in Colombia, we assist with employment contracts, payroll, benefits, timesheets, and time-off management.

Ready to hire in Colombia? 

Book a demo today.

FAQs

1. How many vacation days do employees get in Colombia?

Employees get 15 business days per year, earned after 12 months of continuous work. At least six days must be taken back-to-back. Unused days get paid out proportionally if the employee leaves the company.

2. How does maternity leave work in Colombia?

In Colombia, female employees get 18 weeks of fully paid leave, typically one week before delivery and 17 after. The EPS reimburses the employer. Premature or multiple births extend the leave. Job protection applies throughout pregnancy and 18 weeks postpartum.

3. Can employers terminate an employee on maternity leave in Colombia?

Not without serious legal risk. Pregnant employees and those within 18 weeks postpartum cannot be dismissed without Ministry of Labour authorization. Employees on sick leave also have protections against discriminatory termination.

4. Who pays for sick leave in Colombia, the employer or social security?

The employer covers the first two days at 100% of the salary. From day four onward, the EPS takes over, 66.67% through day 180. 

5. Can employees receive cash instead of their annual leave in Colombia? 

Employees can request to receive cash in place of vacation if there is a prior agreement. Employers who consistently fail to grant leave risk labor complaints and potential penalties from the Ministry of Labor.

It’s also worth knowing about the Prima de Servicios (service bonus). While not technically leave, it’s a mandatory 13th-month salary paid in two installments, half by June 30 and half by December 20. Every employee on a contract lasting at least one year receives it.