Colombian Labor Contracts
If you are a foreigner living in Colombia, then you may be wondering about Colombian labor contracts before hiring anyone. It wont be very long before you realize that labor law here are much different than in many other countries (for example, the U.S.) Most foreigners aresuprised to find that even simple jobs such as maids have rights to liquidation payments. It is your responsibility as an employeer to make sure health & workers insurance, pension, uniforms andtransportation are all paid for or you face substantial monetary penalties/fines. The labor ministry and court system generally favor employees when there is a lack of written documentation so it is critical that you follow domestic labor laws and have a signed contract with an employee. Liquidation payments are required by law and range from 20% to 50% of the employees salary depending on various factors.
Running a company in Colombia requires that you are familiar with the various types of Colombian labor contracts you may enter into in order to avoid a costly situation when employees exit or terminate their relationship with you. Some employees will take advantage of those who are not familiar with Colombian labor laws in Colombia (often Americans or other foreigners). For example, an independent worker will agree to a higher hourly rate in exchange for not paying their benefits, but upon termination will claim they are also entitled to back pay for benefits.
Looking for more on Colombian Labor Contracts? Here are similar topics: How to Get Colombia Investors Visa; Corporate Accounting in Colombia; What is Business Startup Law in Colombia?; How to Create a Colombian Corporation; Medellin Virtual Office.


Our legal staff can assist you with drafting a contract which provides you with the necessary legal protection, combined with professional payroll services.
Types of Colombian Labor Contracts:
Replacement of Personnel (replacement of employee out on maternity sick leave)
Seasonal Job (high season employment)
Traditional part-time employment
Project Specific (construction, professional services)
Traditional fixed term full-time employment
Independent Contractor (a professional who can work independently)
Related Legal Services Offered by Colombia Legal & Accounting SAS:
Certified labor cost projections
Labor Court Disputes
Labor liquidation negotiations
Work visas for foreigners
Human resource services
Workers rights
Our Story
James Lindzey founded the website ColombiaVisas.com, which is constantly updated with new information explaining visa resolutions, procedures, and laws in Colombia to expats. James has worked as a private investigator and paralegal in the United States through the 90s until he moved to Colombia in 2005. James arrived in Colombia in 2005 and started doing visas for expats, but currently works as Director of Legal Services for Visas by James, and Colombia Legal & Associates SAS since June of 2023.
Colombia Legal & Associates acquired the brand name Visas by James as it became a more familiar and easy way for foreigners to remember the business, than the previous Visas y Tramites Internacionales.
While MedellinLawyer.com focuses more on legal issues for expats, ColombiaVisas.com focuses more on visas, and holds the trademark Visas by James. ColombiaVisas.com is the oldest website and provider of visa information for expats in Colombia. We are proud to be the first and always on the cutting edge of providing interactive website content to our visitors.
In addition to our visa services our agency offers a full range of legal and accounting services to our clients. We are able to assist better in document collection services in the United States because of James previous legal experience in the United States.