# Colombia's 2025 labor reform (Ley 2466): what changes for employers

Ley 2466 of June 25, 2025 rewrote much of Colombia's labor code. The indefinite contract became the rule, fixed-term contracts are capped at four years and must be written, night work starts at 7 p.m., and the Sunday and holiday surcharge rises from 80% to 100% by July 2027. It also limits temporary-staffing agencies, makes disciplinary due process mandatory, and adds paid leaves and a disability hiring quota.

By Nick Gomez, COO at Nearshorers. Updated 2026-11-02; figures checked 2026-11-02. Web page: https://nearshorers.com/compliance/colombia-labor-reform-ley-2466

## At a glance

- **The law:** Ley 2466 de 2025, in force since June 25, 2025 [1]
- **Default contract:** Indefinite term [1]
- **Fixed-term contracts:** Written, and at most 4 years in total [1]
- **Night work:** From 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. since December 25, 2025 [1]
- **Sunday and holiday surcharge:** 90% since July 1, 2026; 100% from July 1, 2027 [1]
- **Disability quota:** 2 workers with disabilities per 100 permanent workers, mandatory from the second year [1]
- **Constitutional review:** Only a phrase of article 17 struck down (C-081 de 2026) [2]

## What is Ley 2466 de 2025 and when did it take effect?

Ley 2466 of June 25, 2025 is Colombia's labor reform for decent and dignified work. It amends the Substantive Labor Code and related laws and took effect on its promulgation, with several rules phased in by the law's own transition provisions:[1]

| Change | In force |
|---|---|
| Indefinite contract as the rule; four-year cap on fixed-term contracts | June 25, 2025 |
| Sunday and holiday surcharge of 80% | July 1, 2025 |
| Night work from 7 p.m. | December 25, 2025 |
| Internal work rules updated with the disciplinary procedure | Within 12 months, by June 2026 |
| Sunday and holiday surcharge of 90% | July 1, 2026 |
| Disability hiring quota | Optional in the first year, mandatory from the second |
| Sunday and holiday surcharge of 100% | July 1, 2027 |
| Delivery-platform rules | 12 months after the government's implementing regulation |

The 42-hour week comes from a separate law, Ley 2101 de 2021, whose schedule ended on July 15, 2026.[3]

## Which employment contracts can you use under the reform?

The indefinite-term contract is now the general rule, and fixed-term, project (obra o labor) and occasional contracts are exceptions.[1]

- **Fixed-term contracts** must be written and may last at most four years in total, renewals included, or they are treated as indefinite from the start. For contracts already in force on June 25, 2025, the four years count from that date. After the fourth extension of a contract shorter than a year, each renewal must be for at least a year, and a contract renews automatically for the same term unless one party gives notice 30 days before it ends.[1]
- **Project contracts** must be written and describe the work precisely; if not, or if the worker keeps working after the project ends, the contract is indefinite.[1]
- **Both** give the worker vacation and benefits in proportion to the time worked, however short.[1]
- **Apprenticeship** is now a special fixed-term employment contract of up to three years, with a monthly support of at least 75% of the minimum wage in training phases and 100% in practical phases; university apprentices get at least one minimum wage.[1]

An employee on an indefinite contract who resigns must give 30 calendar days' notice, but no penalty can be agreed for failing to give it.[1]

## How did working hours and pay surcharges change?

Since December 25, 2025, night work runs from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.,[1] and night hours carry a 35% surcharge.[4] Overtime may never exceed 2 hours a day or 12 a week; no permit is needed, but the employer must keep an overtime register for each worker.[1] Daytime overtime is paid at 25% extra and night overtime at 75%.[4]

Work on the weekly rest day or a public holiday carries a surcharge of 80% from July 1, 2025, 90% from July 1, 2026 and 100% from July 1, 2027, and employers may apply the higher rate earlier. The rest day is Sunday unless employer and worker agree in writing on another day.[1]

The 7 p.m. threshold matters for US time-zone overlap. Colombia keeps UTC-5 all year,[5] so while the US is on daylight saving time, a 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific schedule runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Colombia, and its last hour is night work.

## What changed for staffing agencies and independent contractors?

Temporary-staffing companies (EST) may still supply workers only for occasional or transitional work, to replace staff on leave, or for production peaks and seasonal increases for up to six months, extendable once for six more.[6] The reform added consequences: if a user company goes beyond those cases, a court can declare it the true employer and the agency a mere intermediary; the agency's contract with the worker must state the cause of the engagement; and serious breaches can cost the agency its license.[1]

For independent contractors, the reform rewrote article 34 of the labor code. A genuine contractor works for a price, assumes the risks and uses its own means with technical and managerial autonomy, and the client is jointly liable for the contractor's workers' wages, benefits and indemnities unless the work is unrelated to its normal business.[1] It also wrote the primacy of reality over the formalities set by the parties into the code's principles, and it added that the employer's power of subordination may not be exercised in a discriminatory way.[1]

Delivery-platform workers get their own regime: for independent couriers, the platform pays 60% of health and pension contributions on a base of 40% of their platform income, but these rules start 12 months after the government issues the implementing regulation.[1]

## What new duties does the reform give employers?

- **Disciplinary due process.** Before any sanction: written notice of the charges, access to the evidence, at least five days to respond, a reasoned decision, a proportional sanction and the right to challenge it. Internal work rules had to be updated within 12 months, and firms with fewer than ten workers only have to hear the worker first.[1]
- **New paid leaves** for urgent or scheduled specialist medical appointments, compulsory school meetings as a guardian, and judicial or administrative summons, plus one paid day off every six months that can be agreed for workers who commute by bicycle.[1]
- **A disability hiring quota** for companies with up to 500 workers of at least two workers with disabilities per 100 permanent workers, plus one more per additional 100 above 500, optional in the first year and mandatory from the second.[1]
- **Apprentices.** Companies that do not fill their apprentice quota pay SENA 1.5 minimum wages a month for each apprentice not hired,[1] COP 2,626,358 in 2026 at the current minimum wage.[7]
- **Telework.** Teleworkers earning under two minimum wages receive a connectivity allowance instead of the transport allowance,[1] COP 249,095 a month in 2026,[8] and a new transnational telework category covers employment concluded in Colombia with the worker abroad, governed by Colombian law, with the employer required to carry health insurance covering at least medical care.[1]
- **Severance savings.** Employers may now deposit cesantías monthly in advance, at 8.33% of salary plus transport allowance, and agree in writing to pay the 12% interest monthly at 1%.[1]
- **Claims** under the labor code prescribe three years after each obligation becomes payable.[1]

## Has the Constitutional Court changed the reform?

Only at the margins so far. In Sentencia C-081 of April 15, 2026, the Court struck down a phrase of the reform's new anti-discrimination rule in article 17.[2] We found no ruling that changes its contract, hours, surcharge or staffing-agency rules as of November 2, 2026.

## What does the reform mean for a US company hiring in Colombia?

- Use indefinite contracts unless the work is genuinely temporary, and put any fixed-term or project terms in writing.
- If an agency supplies your people, check that the engagement fits one of the three permitted cases and the six-plus-six-month limit.
- Budget the 35% night surcharge for hours after 7 p.m. and the 90% weekend and holiday surcharge, 100% from July 2027, for on-call or launch work.
- Keep a written disciplinary procedure before any warning or dismissal.

The [Colombia hiring guide](https://nearshorers.com/countries/colombia) covers the rest: the 2026 minimum wage, employer costs with a worked example, benefits, termination, contractors and IP.

## Key statistics

| Metric | Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reform signed and in force | June 25, 2025 | Ley 2466 de 2025, on promulgation | [1] |
| Night work starts at 7 p.m. | December 25, 2025 | Six months after the law was signed | [1] |
| 42-hour week fully in force | July 15, 2026 | Last step of Ley 2101 de 2021 | [3] |
| Sunday and holiday surcharge from July 1, 2025 | 80% | Work on the weekly rest day or a public holiday | [1] |
| Sunday and holiday surcharge from July 1, 2026 | 90% | The rate in force on November 2, 2026 | [1] |
| Sunday and holiday surcharge from July 1, 2027 | 100% | Final step; employers may apply it earlier | [1] |
| Night work surcharge | 35% | For hours from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. | [4] |
| Overtime premiums | 25% daytime; 75% at night | Surcharges do not stack with each other | [4] |
| Overtime cap | 2 hours a day; 12 a week | With exceptions for private security and health | [1] |
| Maximum length of a fixed-term contract | 4 years | Including renewals; counted from June 25, 2025 for contracts already in force | [1] |
| Notice to stop a fixed-term contract renewing | 30 days | Otherwise it renews for the same term | [1] |
| Resignation notice | 30 calendar days | No penalty can be agreed for not giving it | [1] |
| Time to answer disciplinary charges | At least 5 days | Part of the mandatory due process | [1] |
| Disability hiring quota | 2 per 100 permanent workers | Companies with up to 500 workers; one more per additional 100 above 500 | [1] |
| Payment for each apprentice not hired | 1.5 minimum wages a month (COP 2,626,358 in 2026) | Paid to SENA; pesos calculated with the 2026 minimum wage | [1][7] |
| Apprentice monthly support | 75% of the minimum wage in training; 100% in practical phases | University apprentices: at least one minimum wage | [1] |
| Connectivity allowance for teleworkers | COP 249,095 a month (2026) | For teleworkers under 2 minimum wages, instead of the transport allowance | [1][8] |
| Platform share of a courier's health and pension contributions | 60%, on 40% of platform income | Independent delivery couriers; starts 12 months after the implementing regulation | [1] |
| Prescription of labor claims | 3 years | From when each obligation became payable | [1] |

## Frequently asked questions

### When did Colombia's labor reform take effect?

Ley 2466 de 2025 took effect on June 25, 2025, the day it was promulgated. Some rules are phased in: night work from 7 p.m. since December 25, 2025, and a Sunday and holiday surcharge of 80% from July 2025, 90% from July 2026 and 100% from July 2027.

### Are fixed-term contracts still allowed in Colombia?

Yes, as an exception to the indefinite contract. They must be written and can last at most four years in total, renewals included; otherwise they are treated as indefinite. For contracts in force on June 25, 2025, the four years count from that date.

### What time does night work start in Colombia?

At 7 p.m. since December 25, 2025, until 6 a.m. Night hours carry a 35% surcharge, and night overtime 75%. A schedule that overlaps with the US West Coast can run past 7 p.m. in Colombia.

### Does the reform affect employers of record and staffing agencies?

Yes. Temporary-staffing companies can still supply workers only for occasional work, replacements or peaks of up to six months plus six, and since the reform a user company that goes beyond those cases can be declared the true employer, while the agency can lose its license for serious breaches.

### Did the Constitutional Court strike down the labor reform?

No. In Sentencia C-081 de 2026 the Court struck down only a phrase of article 17, the new anti-discrimination rule. We found no ruling that changes the contract, hours, surcharge or staffing-agency provisions as of November 2, 2026.

## Sources

1. [Ley 2466 de 2025 (junio 25), por medio de la cual se modifica parcialmente normas laborales y se adopta una Reforma Laboral para el trabajo decente y digno en Colombia - Diario Oficial Edición 53.160 de 25 de junio de 2025](https://sidn.ramajudicial.gov.co/SIDN//NORMATIVA/TEXTOS_COMPLETOS/7_LEYES/LEYES%202025/Ley%202466%20de%202025.pdf). Imprenta Nacional - Diario Oficial (copy hosted by Rama Judicial, Sistema de Información Normativa SIDN), 2025-06-25. Checked 2026-11-02.
2. [Corte Constitucional, Sentencia C-081 de 2026 (15 de abril de 2026), sobre el artículo 17 (parcial) de la Ley 2466 de 2025](https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2026/C-081-26.htm). Corte Constitucional de Colombia - Relatoría, 2026-04-15. Checked 2026-11-02.
3. [Ley 2101 de 2021 (julio 15), por medio de la cual se reduce la jornada laboral semanal de manera gradual, sin disminuir el salario de los trabajadores (Diario Oficial No. 51.736 de 15 de julio de 2021)](https://normas.cra.gov.co/gestor/docs/ley_2101_2021.htm). Comisión de Regulación de Agua Potable y Saneamiento Básico (CRA) - Normograma, 2021-07-15. Checked 2026-11-02.
4. [Código Sustantivo del Trabajo (Decreto Ley 2663 y 3743 de 1950), consolidated text with vigencia notes, updated with Ley 2466 de 2025 (Avance Jurídico compilation in the CRA normograma)](https://normas.cra.gov.co/gestor/docs/codigo_sustantivo_trabajo.htm). Comisión de Regulación de Agua Potable y Saneamiento Básico (CRA) - Normograma, 2025-06-25. Checked 2026-11-02.
5. [Hora Legal para Colombia](https://horalegal.inm.gov.co/). Instituto Nacional de Metrología (INM). Checked 2026-11-02.
6. [Ley 50 de 1990 (consolidated text: empresas de servicios temporales arts. 71-94; cesantías art. 99; with later amendments incl. Ley 2466 de 2025)](https://normas.cra.gov.co/gestor/docs/ley_0050_1990.htm). Comisión de Regulación de Agua Potable y Saneamiento Básico (CRA) - Normograma, 1990. Checked 2026-11-02.
7. [Decreto 1469 de 2025 (diciembre 29), por el cual se fija el salario mínimo mensual legal (Diario Oficial No. 53.350 de 29 de diciembre de 2025)](https://normograma.mintic.gov.co/mintic/compilacion/docs/decreto_1469_2025.htm). Ministerio del Trabajo (text in the MinTIC normograma), 2025-12-29. Checked 2026-11-02.
8. [Decreto 1470 de 2025 (diciembre 29), auxilio de transporte 2026 (Diario Oficial No. 53.350 de 29 de diciembre de 2025)](https://normograma.mintic.gov.co/mintic/compilacion/docs/decreto_1470_2025.htm). Ministerio del Trabajo (text in the MinTIC normograma), 2025-12-29. Checked 2026-11-02.

General information to plan a hire, not legal or tax advice.