{"id":13586,"date":"2025-04-12T16:18:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T21:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nexo.legal\/?p=13586"},"modified":"2025-07-15T17:23:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T22:23:39","slug":"living-in-colombia-domestic-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexo.legal\/es\/living-in-colombia-domestic-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Contrataci\u00f3n Legal del Servicio Dom\u00e9stico en Colombia: Lo que Todo Empleador Debe Saber"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Legal Hiring of Domestic Workers in Colombia: What Every Employer Should Know\n<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Are you living in Colombia and need help at home?<\/span>
<\/span>While it may seem simple, hiring domestic workers in Colombia comes with several legal obligations. Failing to meet them can lead to fines, labor lawsuits, and even immigration issues.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Who qualifies as a domestic worker?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Domestic workers are individuals who perform tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, ironing, childcare, driving, or any other duties within the household. They can work:<\/p>

  • Full-time: 30 days per month<\/li>
  • Part-time or by the day: Less than 30 days per month<\/li><\/ul>

    The work may be provided internally (living in the home) or externally, but in both cases, the employment relationship must be formalized through a labor contract \u2014 never through a service provision contract.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    What if the worker is a foreigner?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    If you hire a foreign worker, you must report the employment relationship to RUTEC and SIRE and verify that the individual holds a valid work permit.
    Failure to do so can lead to fines of up to 5,000 times the current minimum legal wage, imposed by the Ministry of Labor.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    How should the hiring be done?\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h3>

    A labor contract is always required, even if the person only works a few days a week.
    And if the worker provides services to multiple households, each employer must sign their own contract.<\/p>

    Working Hours<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h3>

    The maximum workday is 8 hours per day and 46 hours per week.
    For live-in workers, longer availability may be allowed, but they must still receive proper rest periods, including at least one full day off per week.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Employer Obligations\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    • Register and pay for social security:<\/b> Health, pension, occupational risk insurance (ARL), and family compensation fund \u2014 depending on the type of work schedule.<\/span><\/li>
    • Pay mandatory benefits:<\/b> Service bonus (<\/span>prima<\/span><\/i>), severance (<\/span>cesant\u00edas<\/span><\/i>), interest on severance, paid vacations, and clothing allowance (<\/span>dotaci\u00f3n<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/li>
    • Transportation allowance:<\/b> Applies if the worker earns up to two minimum wages and does not live in the household.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Types of Domestic Workers: Live-in vs. External\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Live-in workers have different labor conditions, such as longer availability and a special rest regime.<\/span>
      <\/span>These terms must be clearly defined in the employment contract.<\/span><\/p>

      Mandatory Benefits<\/b><\/h3>

      Every domestic worker is entitled to:<\/p>

      • Service bonus (prima<\/i>)<\/li>
      • Severance pay (cesant\u00edas<\/i>)<\/li>
      • Interest on severance<\/li>
      • Paid vacations<\/li>
      • Clothing allowance (3 times per year)<\/li><\/ul>

        These must be calculated based on the total gross salary, including in-kind payments (non-cash benefits such as meals, housing, toiletries), which must not exceed 30% of the minimum monthly legal wage.<\/p>

        Example:<\/i> If a domestic worker earns $2,000,000 COP\/month, the maximum allowed in-kind payment is $600,000 COP.<\/p>

        \u00a0Social Security and Parafiscal Contributions<\/b><\/h3>

        If you hire domestic staff in Colombia, you must register and contribute to:<\/p>

        • Health insurance<\/li>
        • Pension<\/li>
        • Occupational risk (ARL)<\/li>
        • Family compensation fund<\/li><\/ul>

          For full-time or part-time workers, registration is mandatory.
          If the worker is employed by the day and has multiple employers, each employer must contribute to pension, ARL, and compensation fund.<\/p>

          Health contributions may vary depending on whether the person is in the subsidized regime (SISB\u00c9N) or is a beneficiary in the contributory regime.<\/p>

          Contributions must be paid monthly via the Integrated Payment System (PILA), using the \u201cType S\u201d form, specifically designed for domestic work. Operators include Aportes en L\u00ednea<\/i>, Mi Planilla<\/i>, SOI<\/i>, Simple<\/i>, Asopagos<\/i>, among others.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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          Social Security Contribution Amounts (2025)\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t
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          For full-time or part-time workers:<\/th><\/td><\/td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
          Concept<\/td>Employer<\/td>Worker<\/td>Total<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Health<\/td>$120,998<\/td>$56,940<\/td>$177,938<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Pension<\/td>$170,820<\/td>$56,940<\/td>$227,760<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Occupational Risk (ARL)<\/td>$7,430<\/td>$0<\/td>$7,430<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Family Comp. Fund<\/td>$56,940<\/td>$0<\/td>$56,940<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          For workers paid by the day:<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Days Worked per Month<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1\u20137 days<\/td>$56,940<\/td>$7,400<\/td>$14,235<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          8\u201314 days<\/td>$113,880<\/td>$7,400<\/td>$28,470<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          15\u201321 days<\/td>$170,820<\/td>$7,400<\/td>$42,705<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          More than 21 days<\/td>$227,760<\/td>$7,400<\/td>$56,940<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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          Who pays for social security?\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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          As the employer, you are responsible for making the full payment through a PILA operator.
          You may deduct the worker\u2019s share of the health and pension contributions \u2014 if applicable \u2014 from their salary.<\/p>

          \u26a0\ufe0f If the contract is by the day and your worker is affiliated with the subsidized health system or is a dependent in the contributory system, you don\u2019t need to pay for health, but you must still pay pension, ARL, and family fund.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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          Risks of Informal Hiring\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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          Failing to formalize the employment relationship can lead to serious legal and financial consequences:<\/span><\/p>

          • Labor lawsuits for unpaid benefits<\/span><\/li>
          • Fines for dismissals without just cause<\/span><\/li>
          • Penalties for avoiding social security contributions (from UGPP)<\/span><\/li>
          • Legal sanctions under Colombia\u2019s Labor Code<\/span><\/li>
          • Full financial liability in case of work accidents without ARL coverage<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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            Need Help Hiring Legally?\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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            At Nexo Legal, we help you hire domestic workers the right way \u2014 avoiding mistakes and ensuring legal compliance.<\/p>

            We assist with:<\/p>

            • Drafting labor contracts<\/li>
            • Registering for social security<\/li>
            • Calculating and paying benefits<\/li>
            • Registering foreign workers<\/li>
            • Full compliance guidance and risk prevention<\/li><\/ul>

              \ud83d\udee1\ufe0f Protect those who work in your home \u2014 and avoid legal complications.
              \ud83d\udce9 Contact us today for personalized legal support.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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