Colombia: congress approves extension of paternity leave and establishes parental leave allowance

Paternity leave is to be extended and a portion of maternity leave is to be converted into a shared 6-week parental leave allowance, under a bill tabled by José Daniel López, a member of Colombia’s house of representatives, which was approved after a final reading in the senate on the night of Thursday 17 June. Paternity leave, which is currently not compulsory in Colombia, will initially be increased from the current 8 days to 2 weeks, and will then gradually be extended to 5 weeks. This extension of one week per year over a period of 5 years will nevertheless be conditional on a decrease in the structural unemployment rate; for each percentage point reduction in structural unemployment, the paternity leave allowance will increase by one week. In addition, the text introduces a parental leave system (“licencia compartida”) whereby a father may take part of the maternity leave allowance in place of the mother. Of the 18 weeks of maternity leave granted, the last 6 weeks may be given to the father, while the first 12 weeks must be taken by the mother. Parental leave pay in this case will be covered by the employer on the basis of the salary of the parent taking the leave. The new law will also allow parents to extend part of their parental leave (the last 2 weeks for the father and the last 6 weeks for the mother) by opting for part-time work (“licencia flexible“), in agreement with their employer.