Working Hours and Overtime in Colombia

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Colombia?

An employee whose age is 17 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 42 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 6 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 18:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Colombia

Colombian law establishes a general maximum of 42 ordinary working hours per week for adult employees, usually distributed over 5 or 6 days. Daily schedules can be arranged flexibly, but the ordinary workday is commonly between 7 and 9 hours, provided the weekly 42-hour cap is respected. You must clearly define the distribution of hours in the employment contract or internal work regulations.

Collective bargaining agreements and internal policies may allow different daily distributions, such as compressed weeks, as long as the 42-hour weekly limit is not exceeded and daily rest is preserved. You are required to keep accurate time records to demonstrate compliance with daily and weekly limits. Any work beyond the agreed ordinary schedule must be treated and paid as overtime according to statutory rules.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. These rules can allow for split shifts, rotating schedules, or extended daily hours, provided that weekly limits and mandatory rest periods are respected. You should always verify whether sectoral regulations or collective agreements impose stricter standards than the general Labor Code.

• Healthcare professionals may work 12-hour shifts with extended rest periods.
• Transport workers must comply with EU-aligned rest and driving limits.
• Manufacturing and security staff often rotate through night or weekend shifts.

Even in these sectors, you must ensure the average weekly limit is respected over a reference period. You should document shift patterns and obtain written employee consent where extended or atypical schedules are used. Failure to manage these exceptions correctly can result in unplanned overtime liabilities and sanctions.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Certain senior managerial, trust, and direction employees in Colombia may be excluded from standard working-hour and overtime rules when they genuinely control their own schedules. To rely on this exemption, the employee’s role must involve high-level decision-making authority and not simply a supervisory title. You should clearly state the exempt status and justification in the employment contract.

Even for exempt employees, you remain responsible for safeguarding health and safety and avoiding excessive working hours. Courts may reclassify mislabelled exempt roles and award back pay for overtime if the factual duties do not match the legal criteria. Maintaining realistic workloads and periodic reviews of exempt classifications helps reduce this risk.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Colombia

Statutory full-time work in Colombia is generally understood as 42 hours per week for adult employees. These hours can be distributed across 5 or 6 days, subject to daily rest and break requirements. Part-time arrangements are permitted as long as they are clearly documented and comply with minimum wage and social security rules on a proportional basis.

You may implement flexible or staggered schedules, including mixed day–night shifts, provided the total ordinary hours do not exceed 42 per week and night work premiums are applied where applicable. Any change from a full-time to a part-time schedule should be agreed in writing with the employee. Transparent communication about expected weekly hours is essential to avoid disputes over overtime and availability.

Overtime Regulations In Colombia

Overtime in Colombia is tightly regulated, and you must obtain the employee’s consent and respect statutory caps before requiring extra hours. You are obligated to keep precise daily records of hours worked, including start and end times, to support correct overtime calculation and payment. Non-compliance with overtime rules can lead to back-pay orders, fines from the labor inspectorate, and potential claims for damages.

What Counts As Overtime In Colombia?

Overtime in Colombia is any time worked by an adult employee beyond the agreed ordinary schedule, up to the legal maximum of 42 ordinary hours per week. Hours worked beyond the daily or weekly ordinary limit must be compensated at overtime rates, whether the work is performed during the day or at night. Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day or on a public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher premium rates.

If an employee is called in early, asked to stay late, or required to work through scheduled breaks for work-related reasons, those additional hours generally qualify as overtime. You should implement a clear pre-approval process so that supervisors authorize overtime in advance and employees understand when extra hours will be paid. Failure to classify and pay these hours correctly can result in retroactive overtime liabilities.

Maximum Overtime In Colombia

Colombian law sets a strict cap of 2 overtime hours per day and 12 overtime hours per week for each employee. This means that, in practice, an adult employee may work 42 ordinary hours plus up to 12 overtime hours in a week, for a total of 54 hours. You must not schedule or permit overtime beyond these limits, even with employee consent.

There is no general annual overtime quota, but labor authorities can intervene if patterns of excessive work threaten employee health or circumvent the daily and weekly caps. Any exceptional need for extended hours should be temporary, well documented, and justified by operational necessity. Repeated breaches of the 2-hours-per-day or 12-hours-per-week limits can trigger inspections and administrative sanctions.

Overtime Payout Rates In Colombia

Daytime overtime in Colombia, worked between 6:00 and 21:00 beyond the ordinary schedule, must be paid at 125% of the employee’s regular hourly rate, equivalent to 1.25x. Nighttime overtime, worked between 21:00 and 6:00 beyond the ordinary schedule, must be paid at 175% of the regular hourly rate, equivalent to 1.75x. These percentages apply only to the overtime portion and are calculated on top of the base wage.

Work performed on Sundays or mandatory rest days that is not ordinarily scheduled must be paid at 175% of the regular hourly rate (1.75x), and if those hours are also overtime, the Sunday or holiday premium combines with the overtime premium, often resulting in effective rates around 200% or more depending on the specific situation. Work on public holidays is generally paid at 175% (1.75x) of the regular hourly rate, with additional uplift if it also qualifies as night work or overtime. You should configure your payroll system to distinguish between daytime overtime, nighttime overtime, Sunday work, and holiday work so that each hour is paid at the correct statutory rate.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Colombia

In Colombia, adult employees typically work up to 8–9 hours per day within a 42-hour workweek, and rest periods are designed to protect health and productivity within this framework. Meal and short rest breaks must be integrated into the daily schedule so that employees do not work more than 6 continuous hours without a pause. Weekly rest rules ensure that, despite flexible scheduling, employees receive at least one full day off every week.

• Meal Break: Colombian practice and guidance require at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break when the daily working time exceeds 6 hours, and many employers grant 60 minutes. This break is usually unpaid unless your policies or collective agreement state otherwise.
• Daily Rest: Employees must generally receive a minimum of 9–11 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next, depending on the schedule. Organizing shifts so that employees are not called back too soon is essential to comply with health and safety obligations.
• Weekly Rest: Employees are entitled to at least one full paid rest day per week, typically Sunday, under Colombian law. If operational needs require Sunday work, you must provide a substitute rest day and pay the applicable Sunday premium.
• Minors: Workers under 18 face stricter limits on daily and weekly hours and must receive adequate rest and breaks tailored to their age. You should avoid scheduling minors for late-night or split shifts that could interfere with schooling or recovery time.
• Employer Duty: Employers in Colombia must organize work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, not just written into policies. Labor inspectors may review schedules and time records to verify that rest rules are respected in practice.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Colombia

Night and weekend work are legal in Colombia but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must manage these schedules carefully to control fatigue, comply with premium pay rules, and respect weekly rest entitlements. Transparent communication and accurate timekeeping are critical when operating with night or weekend shifts.

Night work in Colombia is legally defined as work performed between 21:00 and 6:00, regardless of the employee’s role or sector. Any ordinary hours worked within this window attract a night surcharge, and overtime during this period is paid at even higher rates. These rules apply across most roles, except for genuinely exempt senior management positions.

• Premium Pay: Ordinary night work between 21:00 and 6:00 must be paid with a 35% surcharge, meaning 135% of the regular hourly rate (1.35x), while night overtime must be paid at 175% of the regular hourly rate (1.75x). Sunday or public holiday work generally carries a 75% premium (1.75x), and if combined with night work or overtime, the effective rate can reach or exceed 200% depending on the overlap.
• Health Monitoring: For employees regularly assigned to night shifts, you should implement periodic medical check-ups and fatigue assessments consistent with Colombian occupational health regulations. Adjusting workloads or reassigning workers who develop health issues related to night work helps demonstrate compliance with your duty of care.
• Workplace Restrictions: Colombian law restricts night work and hazardous tasks for minors, and workers under 18 are generally prohibited from night shifts. Pregnant and breastfeeding employees should not be compelled to work nights, and you should offer schedule adjustments or reassignments to protect maternal health.

Weekend work, especially on Sundays, is regulated as a weekly rest issue in Colombia, and employees are normally entitled to Sunday as a paid rest day. If you require employees to work on Sunday, you must provide a compensatory rest day and pay at least 175% of the regular hourly rate (1.75x) for those hours. Public holiday work is treated similarly, with a 75% premium and, where applicable, additional night or overtime surcharges layered on top.