With 18 Holidays, Next Year's Workweek Will Average 43 Hours

Labor and Employment attorney Camilo Cuervo was quoted in La República commenting on the impact that Colombia's gradual reduction of the workweek and increase in public holidays will have on workplace organization starting in 2026. The article explained how the shift to a 42-hour workweek and the presence of 18 weekdays with holidays will create challenges for companies in terms of shift planning, operating costs and efficiency. Mr. Cuervo noted that the real challenge lies in employers' ability to reorganize and properly coordinate schedules, warning that inadequate management could lead to greater operational inefficiencies and that in practice many workplaces are likely to move toward 40-hour, Monday to Friday schedules.

"Any drop in productivity will not result from the reduction itself, but from the inability to coordinate and schedule shifts, which is what will lead to inefficiencies," he said.

READ: With 18 Holidays, Next Year's Workweek Will Average 43 Hours