Colombia: Recap of Recent Bills and their Implications

This article overviews recent labour bills in Colombia, outlining their goals, implications, and effects on the country’s labour market.

• Incentives for Employee Training in AI (Artificial Intelligence): This bill aims to establish tax incentives for companies that train their workers (both direct hires and contractors) in artificial intelligence (AI) through high-quality accredited programs recognized by the Ministry of Education.

The bill proposes collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, and the National Learning Service (SENA) to achieve this goal. These entities will create a public registry of AI training programs certified for high quality by private and public higher education institutions.

In line with the above, the incentives include a reduction of 3 percentage points in the income and complementary tax rate. This benefit will be applied as follows:

 

	Microenterprises	Small enterprises	Medium enterprises
Workers to be trained	10%	20%	30%

 

Finally, this project aims to enhance the competitiveness and qualifications of the country’s labour market in alignment with digital advancements.

• Marriage Leave: To prioritize the protection of the family unit and strengthening familial and emotional relationships, a bill has been introduced to amend the Colombian Labour Code and establish marriage leave. This leave would provide workers with three paid days off for those who get married or enter a common-law marriage.

This benefit can only be claimed within 30 days following the date of marriage or the declaration of the common-law marriage. Additionally, leave can be granted only once during the same employment relationship. The employer will determine the specific date the worker will take the leave.

The labour reform is currently being debated in Congress. An update on its status will be provided in the next edition of this newsletter.

For additional information on any matter related to labour issues in Colombia, please contact Angélica María Carrión Barrero (Partner) of López & Asociados at angelica.carrion@lopezasociados.net or visit www.lopezasociados.net