How long is parental leave in Colombia?

In Colombia, the duration and terms of parental leave are as follows:

• Parental shared leave: Working parents can distribute the last 6 weeks of the maternity leave between themselves, with prior approval from their employers. No additional time is added to the maternity or paternity leave.

• Flexible part-time parental leave: Either the mother or father, or both, can choose to take a part-time flexible parental leave. This allows them to exchange a portion of their maternity or paternity leave for a part-time work period that is equivalent to double the time of the leave period they have selected. No additional time is added to the maternity or paternity leave.

• Leave to care for minors with terminal illness or condition: Leave of absence is granted for 10 working days once a year for parents or guardians who need to care for minors suffering from a terminal illness or condition. This leave is available to working parents who are contributors to the general social security health system or those who have custody and personal care of the minor.

What are the eligibility rules for parental leave in Colombia?

In Colombia, the eligibility rules for parental leave are as follows:

• Parental Shared Leave: Both parents must be enrolled in the social security system as employees. They must agree with their employers on the distribution of the leave weeks.

• Flexible Part-time Parental Leave: Both parents must be enrolled in the social security system as employees. They need to agree with their employers on the part-time leave arrangement. Fathers may use this option before the second week of their paternity leave, while mothers can use it no earlier than the 13th week of their maternity leave.

• Leave to Take Care of Minors with a Terminal Illness or Condition: Working parents who contribute to the general social security health system, or whoever has custody and personal care of a minor suffering from a terminal illness or condition, are entitled to this leave.

How is parental leave payment calculated in Colombia?

In Colombia, the calculation for parental leave payment is based on 100% of the supported employee's compensation. The rules for parental leave align with those for maternity leave in the case of women and paternity leave in the case of men.

What is the process for applying for paternity leave in Colombia?

To apply for paternity leave in Colombia, the following steps should be followed:

• Eligibility: Paternity leave is available to biological or adoptive fathers who are affiliated with the social security system in Colombia, known as Entidades Promotoras de Salud (EPS). Fathers must have made contributions to the EPS either during the pregnancy or before the adoption process.

• Duration: The leave period is 14 calendar days and starts from the child's birth or adoption date.

• Documentation: The supported employee must acquire the Civil Registry of Birth for their newborn child, as this is the only official document required to obtain paid paternity leave.

• Submission: This document must be submitted to the EPS within 30 days of the child's birth.

• Payment: The EPS fully pays for the paternity leave, and the payment is based on the supported employee’s salary.

How long is maternity leave in Colombia?

Maternity leave in Colombia is 18 weeks long.

Key details include:

• 1 week must be taken before the due date, extendable to 2 weeks in cases of medical necessity.
• If the employee suffers an abortion, miscarriage, or gives birth prematurely to a nonviable child, she is entitled to a rest period of 2 to 4 weeks of leave with full pay after providing a medical certificate.
• Mothers adopting a child and fathers caring for the child due to the death or ill health of the mother are also entitled to maternity leave.

A medical review and authorization for maternity leave is required.

What are the eligibility rules for maternity leave in Colombia?

To be eligible for maternity leave pay in Colombia, the supported employee must have made contributions throughout the entire gestation period. If the employee has not made contributions for the entire period, they will receive payment proportionate to their contributions, as long as they are not in default when the maternity leave starts.

How is maternity leave payment calculated in Colombia?

Maternity leave payment in Colombia is compensated at 100% of the employee’s salary. Initially, the employer pays the benefit, and this amount is later reimbursed by the social security system.

What is the process for applying for maternity leave in Colombia?

In Colombia, the process for a supported employee to apply for maternity leave involves the following steps:

• The supported employee must inform the employer of the pregnancy.
• The supported employee should obtain medical documentation from her healthcare provider, such as a certificate of incapacity, indicating the expected date of delivery.
• If applicable, the supported employee should inform the prepaid medicine provider.
• The supported employee must provide the leave order promptly to the employer.
• The employer is responsible for registering the leave order in their systems and internal controls, and making the corresponding payment to the employee.
• The company must subsequently process reimbursement with the social security system entity.

Additionally, the maternity leave is recorded in Velocity Global Colombia's Global Work Platform™ for tracking purposes.

How long is the paternity leave in Colombia?

In Colombia, fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave. This leave applies to fathers of children born to their spouse or permanent partner and to adopting fathers. Additionally, this paternity leave may be extended by 1 week for each percentage point decrease in the structural unemployment rate in Colombia, with a maximum limit of 5 weeks.

What are the eligibility rules for paternity leave in Colombia?

To be eligible for paternity leave in Colombia, the supported employee must meet the following conditions:

• Be the legal father of the child, either through marriage or by recognized paternity.
• Be a contributor to the Colombian social security system (EPS - Entidad Promotora de Salud).
• Have at least 100 contributions to the social security system in the 6 months preceding the child's birth.

How is paternity leave payment calculated in Colombia?

Paternity leave in Colombia is compensated at 100% of the employee’s salary. The payment for paid paternity leave is provided by the Health Promoting Entity (EPS) and is recognized proportionally to the weeks contributed by the father during the gestation period.

What is the process for applying for parental leave in Colombia?

To apply for parental leave in Colombia, a supported employee must complete the following steps:

• Provide necessary documentation, which includes a medical report and the birth certificate.
• Register the leave days in our Global Work Platform™.