Working day for the Private Security and Surveillance Sector
Regarding the working hours of workers who provide their services in the private security and surveillance sector, they have their own special regulation of theArticle 7 of Law 1920 of 2018, a special provision that regulates the possibility of working overtime beyond the maximum legal weekly working day.
The aforementioned regulations allow security guards to work twelve (12) hours a day and sixty (60) hours a week, however their ordinary working hours will continue to be eight (8) hours a day, so the special regulation only authorizes and allows them to work four (4) ) additional hours as limit time, that is, this time must be remunerated as daytime or nighttime overtime with the respective ordinary or holiday nighttime surcharges.
In this order of ideas, workers and security and surveillance companies, subject to a written agreement between the parties, must work (12) hours a day, without this implying exceeding the maximum weekly working day of (60) hours, including (12) hours. additional supplementary hours to the maximum legal working day, as provided in article 7 of Law 1920 of 2018:
ARTICLE 7. SUPPLEMENTARY DAY APPLICABLE TO THE PRIVATE SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY SECTOR.Workers in the private security and surveillance sector may, with prior agreement with the employer, which must be in writing and signed by both parties, work maximum daily work days of twelve (12) hours, without this implying that The maximum weekly working day of 60 hours is exceeded, including overtime hours, authorized in current national labor legislation.
For this purpose, the ordinary working day will be limited to eight hours and the additional working day may be extended for up to four (4) additional hours per day.
In terms of working hours, the gradual maximum legal working day that began its validity in Colombia as of July 15, 2023 with Law 2101 of 2021, which seeks a gradual reduction in Colombia from (48) hours to (42) must be taken into account. ) hours as the maximum legal day in the next five years, modifying article 161 of the CST.
| ImplementationGradual | Term of Validity | Reduction of working hours | Weekly work day |
| 2 years of validity of the law | July 15, 2023- 15
July 2024 |
1 hour | 47 hours |
| 3 years of validity of the law | July 15, 2024-
July 15, 2025 |
1 hour | 46 hours |
| 4 years of validity of the law | July 15, 2025-15
July 2026 |
2 hours | 44 hours |
| 5 years of validity of the law | July 15, 2026 | 2 hours | 42 hours |
The previous changes, application of the gradual maximum legal working day to workers in the surveillance and private security sector, were ratified by the Ministry of Labor and the Superintendency of Surveillance and Private Security through a joint circular of their implementation of Law 2101 of 2021, that is meaning the gradual maximum legal working day of forty-seven (47) with the possibility of additional work of up to four (4) hours a day.
Conclusions:
- Ordinary working hours for workers in the private security and surveillance sector apply a gradual reduction of forty-seven (47) hours per week.
- Workers in the private security and surveillance sector have the possibility of carrying out daily supplementary work in addition to the maximum legal working day, up to four (4) hours per day.
Source:
- Law 1920 of 2018, Law 2101 of 2021, Circular 079 of 2023 Mintrabajo
