Colombia Debates a Potential 40-Hour Workweek as Productivity Remains a Challenge

The possibility of Colombia moving toward a 40-hour workweek gained momentum on Tuesday following a proposal by former President Álvaro Uribe, who suggested continuing to gradually reduce working hours in the country.

His initiative came on the very same day that the 42-hour workweek officially took effect, completing a reduction process that had unfolded over recent years.

The proposal reopens a debate about the future of Colombia’s labor market and the balance between well-being and competitiveness. While some sectors believe that a further reduction could improve workers’ quality of life, others warn that Colombia’s main challenge is not the number of hours worked, but rather the low productivity of its economy, one of the weakest among developed and emerging countries.

Colombia debates a potential 40-hour workweek as productivity remains a challenge

The former president raised the possibility that Colombia could continue gradually reducing working hours until reaching a 40-hour workweek. Although the initiative is not yet part of any formal proposal under discussion, it aligns with a trend seen in several countries seeking to achieve a better work-life balance for employees.

All of this comes on the same day that the South American country officially implements the reduction of the workweek to 42 hours, an initiative that Uribe recalled originated during the administration of his political protégé Ivan Duque (2018–2022). “Thanks to the Congress that supported us and to the Duque administration that signed it into law,” the former president wrote on his X social media account.

In this regard, the leader of the Democratic Center party — which will be part of the future government of Abelardo de la Espriella — added that with “a recovered private sector” and a proper “increase in productivity,” it could be possible to reduce the workweek to as few as 40 hours.

And that is precisely the main obstacle facing Colombia’s labor market: its low productivity, which limits the country’s competitiveness compared with other emerging markets.

Desde hoy nuestra ley, jornada de trabajo de 42 horas.

Gracias al Congreso que nos apoyó, al gobierno Duque
que la sancionó. Con un sector privado recuperado y con aumento de productividad, será posible llegar a 40 horas.

Defendamos la democracia con Economía Fraterna.

— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) July 15, 2026

The real challenge: productivity

Although the reduction in working hours accounts for much of the public debate, economists agree that the main challenge facing Colombia’s labor market is not how many hours people work, but how much they produce during those hours.

For years, Colombia has ranked among the countries with the lowest levels of labor productivity within the OECD. In general terms, Colombian workers tend to spend more time at work than their counterparts in many developed economies, yet generate less economic value per hour worked.

In this regard, the data are compelling: the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) notes that while a person in Colombia works an average of 43.2 hours per week, a person in Germany works only 25.6. However, all of those working hours do not translate into greater wealth, a reality Colombia shares with its neighbors across Latin America.

In fact, among all OECD member countries, Colombia records the lowest labor productivity, meaning that for every hour a person works in Colombia, they generate less income than in any other country on the list.

This situation is the result of multiple factors. One of the most important is the high level of labor informality, which limits training, investment, and the adoption of new technologies. Added to this are infrastructure shortcomings, logistical problems, low levels of innovation, and a significant gap in education and technical training.

Companies also face challenges related to technological adoption and the modernization of production processes. In numerous sectors, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises, inefficient work models persist, reducing performance and increasing operating costs.

Another key factor is the quality of human capital. Although Colombia has expanded access to education over the past decades, challenges remain in technical, digital, and scientific skills that are essential to increasing productivity in an increasingly knowledge-based economy.

From 48 to 42 Hours

For decades, Colombia’s legal workweek was 48 hours, one of the longest among OECD member countries. A 2021 law established a gradual reduction that allowed companies to adapt without affecting workers’ wages.

The process—widely championed by the sector—began in 2023, when the workweek was reduced from 48 to 47 hours. In 2024, it was cut to 46 hours, while in 2025 it fell to 44 hours. With the implementation of the new phase this year, the workweek was officially set at 42 hours.

The regulation left wages and labor rights unchanged, requiring companies to reorganize shifts, processes, and workloads to adapt to the new framework.

The goal of the reform was to bring Colombia closer to international labor standards and promote a better balance between work, rest, and family life. However, the long-term results are still being evaluated by experts, business associations, and government authorities.

With a potential reduction to 40 hours in the future, Colombia would align its workweek with that of most OECD countries. However, the most important debate from an economic perspective goes far beyond working hours and requires a comprehensive approach to improve productivity, which has been unable to move up from its second-to-last position in the ranking issued annually by the OECD.

Because, at the end of the day, it’s not about working more, but about working better and more efficiently.