The Colombian House of Representatives recently approved Bill 61 of 2024 (the “Bill”) which introduces employer-paid marriage leave of three working days.
The Bill, which proposes amendments to the Colombian Labor Code, will next be debated in the Colombian Senate. At this stage, the passage of the Bill is not guaranteed, and the timeline for potential approval is still unclear.
Key details
If the Bill passes into law, employer-paid marriage leave of three working days will be granted to employees who get married or enter into a de facto marital union (also referred to as a common-law marriage).
Employees may claim the leave within 30 days following the date of the marriage or the declaration of the de facto marital union (which can be declared through a public deed, conciliation act or judicially).
An employee must notify their employer at least 30 calendar days before the intended utilization of leave, and the employer has discretion to determine the dates on which the employee will take the leave. The Bill is silent on the mode of notification to the employer and does not set out whether the leave can be taken separately or consecutively.
The employee must also provide the employer with a valid supporting document, being either the civil registry of marriage or a declaratory proof of the de facto marital union, though the proposed legislation does not indicate when such document must be provided.
Employer-paid marriage leave can be granted only once under the same employment relationship.
Lockton comments
As the introduction of paid marriage leave remains subject to potential amendments and approval by the Colombian Senate, employers should monitor the Bill’s progress. If the Bill passes, the Lockton Global People Solutions compliance team will update this article accordingly.
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