Paid time off

Colombia's paid time off entitlement guarantees workers a minimum of 15 calendar days of annual paid vacation. This statutory right applies to all employees across the private and public sectors who have completed one year of continuous service with their employer. The vacation period is designed to provide workers with mandatory rest and recovery from the physical and mental demands of continuous employment, recognizing that sustained work causes biological wear on the body that requires restoration.

The legal foundation for this requirement is established in Colombian labor law, with constitutional oversight provided through the Constitutional Court decision C-035/2005, which affirms the fundamental purpose and scope of vacation rights. The ruling emphasizes that vacations serve as a critical mechanism for worker health and wellbeing, not merely as a discretionary benefit.

Employers must grant the full 15-day vacation entitlement within the calendar year following the completion of each 12-month employment period. Vacation days must be paid at the worker's regular wage rate, and employers cannot unilaterally deny or reduce this entitlement. Workers may carry over unused vacation days to the following year in limited circumstances, though Colombian law generally requires vacation to be taken rather than accumulated indefinitely.

Payroll teams administering Colombian employment must track service anniversaries carefully to ensure vacation accrual is calculated correctly and that time off is scheduled and compensated in compliance with statutory requirements. Failure to provide mandated vacation can result in significant financial penalties and legal liability for employers.