The Colombian government implemented a maximum weekly work schedule of 42 hours starting Wednesday, July 15 [1, 2].
This change represents the final phase of Law 2101 of 2021, a legislative effort to improve the quality of life for employees while allowing businesses to adapt to shorter legal limits. By reducing the standard work week, the administration seeks to balance productivity with worker well-being.
Under the new decree, the weekly limit drops from 44 to 42 hours [1]. The law mandates a maximum of eight hours of work per day [3]. Crucially, the reduction in hours cannot result in a decrease in the employee's salary, or the loss of their designated day of rest [1].
Employers and workers must agree on how to distribute the new hourly schedule. This flexibility allows companies to tailor their operations to specific industry needs while remaining compliant with the national mandate.
Beyond the hourly limit, the measure alters the calculation for overtime and surcharges. Because the standard work week is shorter, the threshold for what constitutes an extra hour has shifted. Additionally, a Sunday surcharge of 90% has been in effect since July 1 [4].
The administration of President Gustavo Petro said the measure ensures that the transition to a shorter work week is sustainable for the national economy. The rollout was designed as a progressive shift to prevent sudden shocks to the labor market, ending with this final adjustment in July 2026 [2, 5].
“The weekly limit drops from 44 to 42 hours.”
Colombia is joining a growing global trend toward shorter work weeks to combat burnout and increase labor efficiency. By decoupling hours worked from total pay, the government is forcing a shift in productivity metrics, placing the burden of efficiency on the employer rather than the worker's time. The success of this transition will likely depend on how strictly the 42-hour limit is enforced across the informal sector.
