Weaving Global Networks: BéndiksenLaw at the 2023 International Business Meeting

The business world is a dynamic and constantly evolving field, where interaction between different actors is crucial for development and expansion. Along these lines, the 2023 International Business Meeting, organized by the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce, stands as a privileged platform for meeting and collaboration between national and international companies. BéndiksenLaw, as an active member of this Chamber, participated in the event, represented by our managing partner, Sebastián Béndiksen.

AmCham Colombia, responsible for the event, has as its mission to promote trade relations between Colombia and the United States, and the 2023 International Business Meeting was a palpable manifestation of this objective. With the participation of more than 100 goods and services companies from more than 10 countries, the event offered a place for the formation of alliances, the discovery of new market trends, the strengthening of brand positioning, and the increase of knowledge in good business practices at national and international levels.

Sebastián Béndiksen’s participation not only represented BéndiksenLaw, but also marked the third time that our firm has been part of these significant encounters. These events reiterate our position and active commitment in international trade, highlighting the continuity and consistency in our contribution to strengthening trade relations between Colombia and the United States.

We invite you to explore more about how BéndiksenLaw can assist in navigating the complex legal landscape that accompanies international business relationships. Our firm is committed to providing exceptional legal counsel that enables businesses to operate with confidence on the global stage.

Contact us and find out how we can be the legal partner your company needs to thrive in the international arena.

Reduction of Weekly Working Hours in Colombia

Through Law 2101 of 2021, the gradual reduction of the weekly working day in Colombia was ordered. This reduction, however, does not decrease or negatively affect workers’ salary and / or acquired rights. Thus, the maximum duration of the ordinary weekly working hours was reduced by six (6), from forty-eight (48) hours per week to forty-two (42). This law allows the employer to implement this reduction in the weekly working hours automatically, that is, to reduce all six (6) hours immediately. However, the law also authorizes employers to implement this reduction gradually, as follows:

DateNumber of Hours to ReduceLegal Maximum Working Hours
As of July 16, 2023One (1) hour47 hours per week
As of July 16, 2024One (1) hour46 hours per week
As of July 16, 2025Two (2) hours44 hours per week
As of July 16, 2026Two (2) hours42 hours per week

According to the above, as of July 16 of the current year, it will be mandatory for employers to modify the duration of the weekly working hours of their workers so that it does not exceed a total of forty-seven (47) hours per week. These hours may be distributed in five (5) or six (6) days a week, according to what is mutually agreed between employers and workers, and in all cases one (1) day of rest per week must be guaranteed. However, Law 2101 establishes the following exceptions:

1. Tasks that imply a high risk to workers health in accordance with the provisions of Decree 2090 of 2003, may be subject to a different maximum weekly working hours if the government decides so. However, to date there is no special regulation in this regard, so at present they must be subject to the maximum ordinary weekly working hours of forty-two (42);

2. Adolescents over the age of fifteen (15) and under seventeen (17) years who have authorization to work, may only perform their work during a maximum daytime shift of six (6) hours a day and thirty hours (30) a week and until 6:00 p.m.;

3. Adolescents of seventeen (17) years of age may only work a maximum of eight (8) hours a day and forty (40) hours a week and until 8:00 p.m.;

4. In case of successive work shifts that allow the company to function without interruption every day of the week, the shifts may not exceed six (6) hours per day and thirty-six (36) hours per week;

5. In case of flexible daily shifts, the forty-two (42) hours may be distributed in a maximum of six (6) days a week, with a minimum of four (4) continuous hours and a maximum of nine (9) hours per day without any surcharge for supplementary work.

In case you have doubts about this matter, do not hesitate to contact us.

Learn About the New Colombian Regulation on Telework

On July 18, 2022, Decree 1227 of 2022 came into force, which modifies and adds some provisions on teleworking. In this regard, bear in mind that teleworking is a form of work organization that consists of the performance of activities by the worker using Information and Communication Technologies “ICT” as support. Thus, the contact between the worker and the employer occurs through ICT without requiring the physical presence of the worker in a specific place of work. Additionally, there are three types of teleworkers: (i) autonomous, when teleworkers use their own home or a different place agreed upon with the employer and only sporadically go to the company; (ii) mobile, when they do not have an established workplace and use mobile devices to perform their functions; and (iii) supplementary, when depending on the needs of the service, they work two (2) or three (3) days a week at home and the other days they work in the company. With this in mind, below we detail the modifications that you must take into account as an employer if you want to implement this type of employment contract in your company in Colombia:

  1. In the employment contract employers must indicate the necessary conditions for the performance of the functions assigned to the worker, the technological means required, the description of the equipment and computer programs and the responsibilities regarding the custody of work items and restrictions and responsibilities that the breaches of these conditions entail. Additionally, it must indicate the modality of telework that will be performed, the weekly working schedule that teleworkers will have, the security measures that they must know and comply with and the description of the minimum requirements in terms of ergonomics and technology that the workstation must comply with. Finally, the employment contract must indicate the procedure that teleworkers must follow to return the equipment that was delivered to them once the telework or contract ends.
  2. The previous requirement to include in the Internal Work Regulations (RIT, by its Spanish acronym) the special conditions for teleworking to operate and the provisions related to the proper use of equipment, programs and information management applicable to these workers, has been eliminated.
  3. The following obligations are established for employers: (i) affiliate teleworkers to the Labor Risk System and inform the workers’ compensation administrators (ARL, by its Spanish acronym) about the chosen telework modality, the weekly working schedule and the corresponding risk class. Additionally, for supplementary and autonomous teleworking, the chosen workplace for the teleworker to carry out their functions must be reported and for mobile telework, the conditions in which the contracted work will be performed; (ii) in the Annual Work Plan of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SG-SST, by its Spanish acronym) all the actions considered necessary to identify and control the dangers and risks of the company’s teleworkers must be implemented; (iii) order periodic medical evaluations that may be performed by telemedicine; (iv) adopt and publish a telework policy in which the terms, characteristics and conditions of teleworking are regulated in accordance with the needs and particularities of the service; and (v) inform the Colombian Ministry of Labor about the number of teleworkers that their company has.
  4. Towards teleworkers, employers have the following obligations: (i) inform them of the communication mechanisms they have to report any updates related to the performance of telework, work accidents and occupational diseases; (ii) provide them with adequate work equipment and tools, ensuring that they receive training and information on the risks arising from their use. However, this does not prevent teleworkers from using their own equipment and work tools; (iii) respect human dignity, the right to privacy and access to information of teleworkers; (iv) guarantee the right to disconnect from work and protect the mental health and emotional balance of teleworkers; (v) train them in advance, virtually or in person, in terms of mental health care, ergonomic or biomechanical risk factors, use and appropriation of ICT and digital security; (vi) inform them about the restrictions on the use of computer equipment and programs, protection of personal data, intellectual property, information security and penalties for non-compliance with these provisions.
  5. The possibility that the parties retain the right to reversibility of teleworking is established. That is, the parties may have the power to request at any time the definitive return of teleworkers to perform their functions in person at the company. However, this will depend on what the parties agree to in the employment contract and the possibilities that the employer has to locate the worker within their company.
  6. This decree states that the parties must seek flexibility regarding the time and mode of performance of the teleworker’s functions, provided that the established weekly working schedule is met. For this, the parties will be able to agree on schemes of compliance and monitoring of functions. However, this flexibility cannot affect the effective rest of teleworkers or their right to disconnect from work.
  7. The possibility that the parties agree that the teleworker use their own work equipment and tools is established. In this case, teleworkers must keep their equipment and tools in good functional condition to fulfill their functions and employers must refrain from subsequently requesting equipment other than those agreed upon. The parties can agree on a compensatory amount for the use of these tools, but it is NOT mandatory.
  8. The parties can agree on a monthly aid to compensate for the teleworker’s expenses on Internet, land and mobile telephony and energy. This aid is NOT mandatory and will depend on the will of the parties.

In case you have any doubts, please contact us.

The Deadline to Pay the Legal Bonus is Approaching

According to article 306 of the Colombian Labor Code, employers have the obligation to pay their employees a social benefit called “Legal Bonus” corresponding to 30 days of salary per year, that is, for each year worked, 30 days of salary must be recognized. This Legal Bonus must be recognized in two payments: half by June 30th at the latest and the other half no later than the first twenty days of December. The recognition of this payment must be made for the entire semester worked or proportional to the time worked.

In addition, bear in mind that all workers who are bound by an employment contract are entitled to the Legal Bonus, including domestic workers, family service drivers, daily workers or farm workers and, in general, those who are considered as dependent workers.

In accordance with the above, by June 30th at the latest, you will have the obligation to pay an amount equivalent to half of the monthly salary received by your workers for those that began working on or before January 1st. For workers who began after January 1st, payment must be made in proportion to the time worked. In case you do not make the corresponding payment before this date, you must pay, as compensation, a sum equal to the last daily salary for each day of delay, up to 24 months. If after 24 months you have not yet made the payment, you must recognize default interests[1].

In case you have doubts about this or any other work obligation, do not hesitate to contact us.


[1] Colombian Labor Code. Article 65.

What Should You Do if Your Workers Have COVID-19?

Decree 1109 of 2020 established various measures that must be considered when following up on cases of workers infected with COVID-19 or who had contact with infected individuals. Additionally, “Sustainable Selective Isolation” was regulated, understood as the guarantee that workers have to remain in mandatory isolation, due to their diagnosis or suspicion of contagion with this virus, without their income being affected. In this regard, the Colombian Ministry of Labor recently specified[1] that treating physicians will be able to determine the need to grant medical leave to workers in consideration of the symptoms they have. In addition, physicians must consider whether or not workers have the possibility of carrying out their work remotely, through telework or work from home. Thus, in the event that workers can perform their functions under any of the aforementioned modalities and their health allows it, medical leave will not be necessary. On the contrary, if workers’ physical presence in the workplace is required, treating physicians must grant medical leave to allow them to comply with mandatory isolation.

In addition to the above, the Colombian Ministry of Labor established how to proceed with workers who belong to the Contributory Health Regime and the differences with those who belong to the Subsidized Health Regime, as follows:

  1. In the event that workers belonging to the Contributory Health Regime have medical leave: healthcare entities (EPS, by its Spanish acronym) or workers’ compensation administrators (ARL, by its Spanish acronym), will be responsible for recognizing payments to workers.
  2. In the event that workers belonging to the Contributory Health Regime do not obtain medical leave despite their diagnosis or suspicion of contagion with COVID-19: employers must allow workers to perform their duties through telework or work from home during the period that they must remain isolated, without their salary being affected. This measure is also applicable to those workers who, although the performance of their functions does not use information and communication technologies, can nonetheless perform them without requiring their physical presence in the workplace.
  3. In cases where workers belong to the Subsidized Health Regime: If workers have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and comply with mandatory isolation, they will be entitled to receive a temporary economic compensation that corresponds to seven (7) days of the Colombian daily minimum wage, for a single time. In this case, whether or not they have a medical leave is not taken into consideration, only whether they complied with mandatory isolation.

In addition to the above, the Colombian Ministry of Labor reminded employers that they have different tools to protect and preserve jobs during the health emergency that lasts until June 30th, such as: (i) work from home, (ii) telework, (iii) annual, anticipated, and collective paid vacation, (iv) paid leave, (v) salary without provision of services, and (vi) compensable paid leave.

For more information regarding this topic, do not hesitate to contact us.


[1] Ministry of Labor, response No. 2EE2021410600000061823.

New Regulation for Work-From-Home Agreements in Colombia

On April 27, through Decree 649 of 2022, the Colombian Ministry of Labor regulated the procedure for authorizing work from home, understood as the occasional, temporary, and exceptional authorization given by employers to workers to perform their work from their home. This authorization is granted based on extraordinary circumstances that are expected to be overcome given time, which allows employers to accept that workers can perform their functions in a different location from their usual place of work, without this implying a modification or affectation to the rights and guarantees of workers or to the working conditions agreed upon at the beginning of the labor relationship. Thus, we explain bellow what the procedure for authorization is, as established in this new decree.

The authorization to work from home may be requested by workers, who must inform in writing, either by physical or digital means, of the occurrence of exceptional circumstances, attaching the evidence that accredits their occurrence, and asking for the authorization to carry out their duties from home. However, the mere submission of the application does not imply that employers must accept it, since it is not the worker’s right. On the other hand, the authorization to work from home may be implemented by employers regarding one or more of their workers because of the occurrence of these extraordinary situations, without the need of a prior request. In both cases, the decision to enable work from home must be made in writing, by means of a notice sent to workers, physically or digitally, in which they are informed of: (i) the occasional and exceptional situation that allows for the authorization of working from home to be granted; (ii) the term of this authorization, which may be a maximum of six (6) months, unless the circumstances that gave rise to the authorization persist, in which case it will remain in force until such circumstances disappear[1]; (iii) the duties that the worker must perform during the authorization; (iv) the means of communication through which employers and workers may report any updates, (v) the channels for complaints from workers so they may  submit their concerns or claims of infringement of their right to disconnect from work or of workplace harassment; (vi) the physical address from which workers will perform their duties, (vii) if there is an agreement for workers to use their own equipment for the performance of their duties, and if compensation will be paid or not, otherwise in case of a lack of agreement, it must be supplied by employers, indicating all the equipment and tools that will be delivered along with the liability regarding their custody and the procedure for the delivery and return of said tools, and (ix) the computer security measures workers must comply with. In addition, this decree also establishes new obligations, prior to the authorization for working from home, that employers must comply with, such as: (i) filling out the form provided by the workers’ compensation administrators (ARL, by its Spanish acronym), informing them about the authorization to work from home, the period for which the authorization will be granted and the physical address from which  workers will perform their tasks, (ii) having the necessary procedure to guarantee the right to disconnection from work, and (iii) training workers to ensure the proper use of information and communication technologies.

In case of receiving a request to authorize work from home, employers must respond in writing within a period not exceeding five (5) days and, take into account within the criteria to grant the authorization, in addition to the existence of exceptional circumstances, the possibility that workers’ duties can be performed outside the usual place of work without affecting the adequate provision of the service or workers’ productivity and whether the company has the necessary tools. Once the authorization to work from home is granted, employers must include work from home within their methodology to identify, evaluate, assess and control dangers and risks to workers and adopt all the necessary actions in the Annual Work Plan of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SG-SST, by its Spanish acronym). Likewise, employers must take the corresponding actions to protect and guarantee human dignity and workers’ rights.  When the period of authorization to work from home expires or the conditions that gave rise to this authorization are overcome, employers must inform workers, immediately, about the expiration and their return to the usual place of work.

Finally, bear in mind that the authorization to work from home includes the possibility of working from abroad with the prior authorization of the employer, who must report this situation to the ARL and take all necessary measures to ensure that workers are enrolled and protected by the Social Security System of Colombia. Additionally, there is also the possibility of implementing work from home under the alternation model, that is, employers may determine that some days of the week workers perform their duties in person at the usual place of work and other days from home.

In case you have doubts regarding these obligations or any labor issue, do not hesitate to contact us so that we can provide you with the counsel you need.


[1] Law 2088 of 2021, article 7.

New Regulation for Remote Work Contracts in Colombia

On April 9, through Decree 555 of 2022, the Colombian Ministry of Labor regulated the conditions that must be met by employers, workers and workers’ compensation administrators (ARL, by its Spanish acronym), for cases in which workers provide their services remotely. This type of work is known as remote work and is a form of performance of employment contracts in which information and communications technologies or similar means are used. In other words, employers and workers do not interact physically, since all the stages of the contract are performed virtually [1]. Therefore, companies that want to implement remote work must have a procedure that recognizes and respects the rights and guarantees of workers, as well as promote the appropriate use of information and communication technologies in a way that eliminates barriers that limit the performance of remote work. In this regard, this decree establishes new obligations for  remote employers, who must comply with  sending of a copy of the remote employment contract to the ARL along with: (i) the information of the place chosen for the provision of the service, (ii) any changes to this, (iii)  weekly work schedule, (iv) the occupational risk classification corresponding to the tasks to be performed and (v) the occupational risk classification corresponding to the company or workplace, as well as filling out the form required by the ARL. Additionally, the methodology to identify, evaluate, assess and control dangers and risks to workers of the company must include the category of remote work in order to adopt all necessary actions in the annual Work Plan of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SG-SST, by its Spanish acronym).

Likewise, employers must inform workers about the available means of communication to report any updates related to the performance of remote work, work accidents and occupational diseases. Similarly, every employer must order periodic medical evaluations to identify the health conditions of remote workers. Finally, employers must provide workers with safe work equipment and adequate means of protection, and virtually verify the health and safety conditions of the place where workers will perform their functions.

With respect to remote employment contracts, this decree establishes that they must contain the activities that workers must perform and the physical conditions of the workplace. In addition, the work tools that will be delivered to remote workers for the effective performance of their functions must be included in the contracts, as well as the liability for the custody of these items, the way in which these items will be delivered to and returned by workers, and the computer security measures that remote workers must know and comply with. Furthermore, the value of the assistance fee that employers must pay to compensate for the cost of energy, Internet and / or telephone services used in the provision of the services by the worker must be specified, which may not be lower than the value of the transportation aid established by the National Government. Employers and workers may also agree on a monthly compensation value for the use of work tools owned by the worker.

Moreover, employers may require remote workers, in exceptional circumstances, to attend the employer’s office or workplace in-person. These exceptional circumstances must be included in the employment contract. In addition, flexible schedules may be agreed upon by the parties and employers may implement corresponding technological mechanisms to ensure and verify the effective compliance with the schedule, without prejudice to workers’ right to disconnect from work.

In case you have doubts regarding these obligations or any labor issue, do not hesitate to contact us so that we can provide you with the legal counsel you need.


[1] Article 3rd, Law 2121 of 2021.

What Are “Wage-Exclusion Agreements” and What Are Their Limits?

In accordance with article 127 of the Colombian Labor Code, anything workers receive as a direct compensation for the service they provide must be considered wages, regardless of whether it is paid in money or in-kind, or the type or name given to this payment. However, it is possible for employers to grant other occasional sums to workers in order to achieve the full performance of their duties, without seeking to grant benefits to workers or grow their wealth. Likewise, it is possible for the parties to expressly agree to grant certain benefits or aids to workers, either regularly or occasional, without these being considered as part of their salary, since these sums are not intended to remunerate the work they perform; this is known as a “Wage-Exclusion Agreement” and these payments may not exceed 40% of the total remuneration received by workers[1].

With respect to these agreements, the Colombian Supreme Court of Justice, in judgment SL5159-2018, and reiterated in judgment SL5146-2020, recalled that these can only apply to those payments that, despite not directly compensating work, in the absence of a previous wage-exclusion agreement, could generate discussions and confusion regarding their nature, that is, whether they constitute salary or not. Such is the case of extralegal bonuses for food, room or clothing, holidays or Christmas, among others. Thus, employers will have the burden of demonstrating that these payments, despite being regular and/or habitual, do not have the direct purpose of remunerating the services of workers or growing their wealth, but instead have a different objective, such as guaranteeing the fulfillment of tasks or covering certain needs. This is necessary because employers do not include these sums in the payment of social security contributions (pension, health, workers’ compensation administrators) or social benefits (legal bonuses, severance and its interests, legally mandated work uniforms), since the basis for calculating these payments is solely the sum that does constitute wages. Therefore, in the event that the existence of a duly executed wage-exclusion agreement cannot be proved, the employer will be obliged to pay workers, as compensation, a sum equal to the last daily wage for each day of delay in the payments of these sums (contributions and social benefits), in accordance with the provisions of article 65 of the Colombian Labor Code.

Consequently, on March 23, the Colombian Supreme Court of Justice analyzed an appeal against a judgment that declared two (2) companies jointly and severally liable, for an ineffective wage-exclusion agreement. In this regard, the Court argued that even though the worker freely agreed to execute this agreement, it is not possible to exclude from her salary any amount that, by its nature, essence and purpose constitutes salary, more so if the employer cannot demonstrate that these payments do not have the purpose of remunerating the services of the worker. In other words, the employer, through a wage-exclusion agreement, wanted to exclude sums that were constitutive of salary since they compensated the work performed by the worker. Additionally, the Court recalled that, in these cases workers must file their claim within 24 months following the termination of the labor agreement. Otherwise, workers are no entitled to the compensation established in article 65 of the Colombian Labor but only default interest accrued from the termination of the contract.

For the specific case, the worker had worked with a company for 13 years under an open-ended labor contract, after which she was notified that the employer would be replaced by another company. However, before this replacement was made, the worker executed an additional clause to the contract through which she would be granted a monthly remuneration plus a “non-salary benefit” that would not be included in the basis for calculating social benefits and contributions to the social security system. This clause, despite the employer substitution, was in force until the moment of termination of the contract. In this regard, the Court recalled that article 69, paragraph 1, of the Colombian Labor Code establishes that previous and current employers are jointly and severally liable for any obligations that at the date of substitution are enforceable against the previous employer. It is for this reason that the determination made by the court of appeals to declare both companies jointly and severally liable and order them to pay the sums owed along with the default interest, was correct, which is why the Court decided to confirm the ruling.

At BéndiksenLaw we can help you draft, review and modify the employment contracts of your workers to ensure full compliance with the regulatory provisions on labor matters. We can also settle any of your doubts regarding this or any other labor issue. Contact us.


[1] Council of State, Fourth Section, File No. 05001-23-33-000-2016-02496-01(25185) of December 9, 2021, C.P. Dr. Milton Chaves García.