Colombia: Summary of Recent Labour and Employment Law Developments

In the past month, there have been several labour and employment law developments, chief among them: i) increase in the apprentices’ monthly support and ii) new permanence permit will allow Venezuelans to work in Colombia.

I. Increase in the apprentices’ monthly support: they must receive at least a minimum wage, due to the unemployment rate for 2019

The National Administrative Department of Statistics has certified the national unemployment rate for 2019 at 10,5% (above 10%).  Accordingly, the monthly support value that companies must pay to apprentices, in a practical phase, will be increased from 75% to 100% of the minimum wage, based on article 30, Law 789 of 2002.

II. New permanence permit will allow Venezuelans to work in Colombia

The Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued the Decree 117 of 2020 to create the Special Permit for the Promotion of Formalisation (PEPFF). The PEPFF is an exceptional and transitory mechanism for facilitating the signing of contracts of employment and service provision contracts, respectively, under certain conditions and with the prior approval of the Minister of Labour.

For more information on these articles or any other issues involving labour and employment matters in Colombia, please contact Alejandro Castellanos (Partner) of López & Asociados at alejandro.castellanos@lopezasociados.net or visit www.lopezasociados.net