Overtime and Break Laws in Colombia (2026)
Código Sustantivo del Trabajo (as amended by Ley 2466 de 2025, reforma laboral); Ley 2101 de 2021 · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
Daytime overtime 1.25x, night overtime 1.75x, past 8 hours a day or the weekly limit (42 hours, the final step of Ley 2101, reached in 2026).
Breaks and lunch
The workday must be split into at least two sections with a reasonable rest. The law sets no minimum length, and the rest is unpaid.
Overtime in Colombia
- 1.25x pay for hours past 8 in a day.
- 1.25x pay for hours past 42 in a week.
- Weekly hours phase-in (Ley 2101 of 2021): 47 after 2 years, 46 after 3, then minus 2 a year to 42 (reached in 2026). CST art. 161 now states 42.
- Night work runs 19:00 to 06:00 (Ley 2466, effective 6 months after enactment in 2025) and carries a 35% premium. Night overtime is 75% extra. Premiums do not stack.
- Overtime is capped at 2 hours a day and 12 a week (security and health sectors excepted).
- Work on the mandatory rest day (Sunday by default) or holidays: 80% from 1 July 2025, 90% from 1 July 2026, 100% from 1 July 2027.
- Flexible weekly schedules: 4 to 9 hours a day over up to 6 days, with no overtime if the week averages 42 hours.
- Excluded from hours limits: management, trust and handling positions (dirección, confianza o manejo); resident intermittent or watch workers.
Averaging over a pay period: Allowed within the week (flexible daily hours, max 9 a day) and for shift work averaged over up to 3 weeks
What two weeks of work come to
Worked out by the rule above (1.25x after 42h in a week, 1.25x after 8h in a day). Hours.
| Two weeks of | Regular | Overtime (1.25x) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days of 8 hours, two weeks (80h) | 80 | 0 |
| 5 days of 10 hours, two weeks (100h) | 80 | 20 |
| 6 days of 9 hours, two weeks (108h) | 84 | 24 |
| 50 hours, then 30 hours (80h) | 70 | 10 |
Breaks and lunch in Colombia
The law does not set a break of a fixed length for adult employees here.
- CST art. 167: rest suited to the nature of the work and the workers' needs, not counted as working time.
- At least one paid rest day a week.
Pay by Colombia rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Colombia: the overtime and break rules above fill in, and every timesheet, report and payroll export follows them. Change any number to match your own contract.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rule in Colombia?
Daytime overtime 1.25x, night overtime 1.75x, past 8 hours a day or the weekly limit (42 hours, the final step of Ley 2101, reached in 2026).
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Colombia?
Allowed within the week (flexible daily hours, max 9 a day) and for shift work averaged over up to 3 weeks
What breaks are required in Colombia?
The workday must be split into at least two sections with a reasonable rest. The law sets no minimum length, and the rest is unpaid.