Household staff in Colombia, fully compliant: contract, social security and payroll
Formalizing the people who work in your home protects your family and your employee. We draft the written contract, handle social security enrollment, the monthly PILA return and every mandatory payment, so you never need to master Colombian labor law.
- ✓ Written contract under Law 2466 of 2025
- ✓ Live-in, live-out and day workers
- ✓ English-speaking support
Anyone who works for your household is a domestic worker
Whether they work every day or only a few days a week, live in or not, the employment relationship exists and comes with the same minimum rights, in proportion to the time worked.
Is your household compliant with Colombian law?
Tick what you already have in place. In under a minute you will know what is missing.
This self-assessment is for guidance only and does not replace a review of your case.
What changed for household employers
Colombia’s labor reform and the shorter work week brought changes that already apply or are coming soon:
Written contract required
Law 2466 of 2025 requires employment contracts with domestic workers to be in writing and reaffirms their social security enrollment.
Night work starts at 7:00 p.m.
Hours worked after 7:00 p.m. are paid with a night surcharge.
42-hour week and 90% Sunday surcharge
From July 15, 2026 the maximum work week is 42 hours (Law 2101 of 2021), and work on Sundays and holidays is paid with a 90% surcharge.
100% Sunday surcharge
The surcharge for work on Sundays and holidays reaches 100%.
We handle the entire process
From the contract to the final settlement, with clear calculations and records kept for you.
Employment contract
A written contract tailored to your household and compliant with current law.
What’s included
- Contract for live-in, live-out or day workers
- Duties, schedule, salary and probation period
- Clauses on meals and housing, when applicable
- Amendments when conditions change
Social security enrollment
We enroll your employee in health, pension, occupational risk and a family compensation fund.
What’s included
- Registration of your household as an employer
- Enrollment with EPS, pension fund, ARL and compensation fund
- Adding dependents to health and fund coverage
- Start and end-of-employment updates
Monthly PILA and payroll
Every month we calculate the social security return and what you owe your employee.
What’s included
- PILA calculated on the actual salary
- Contributions by days or weeks for day workers
- Sunday, holiday and night surcharges
- Monthly pay slip
Mandatory benefits
We calculate every mandatory payment and remind you on time.
What’s included
- June and December service bonus (prima)
- Severance and interest on severance
- Vacation pay
- Work wear, when applicable
Final settlement
When employment ends, we prepare the full settlement so you can close with nothing pending.
What’s included
- Calculation of pending salary, benefits and vacation
- Settlement document for both parties to sign
- Termination of social security enrollment
- Guidance to avoid later claims
Catching up
If your employee has been working without enrollment or benefits, we build a plan to regularize the situation.
What’s included
- Review of time worked and what is pending
- Calculation of overdue contributions and benefits
- Orderly payment plan
- Support with the regularization before each entity
What can happen if you are not compliant
Claims and lawsuits
Your employee can claim unpaid wages, benefits and vacation, and a late final settlement can trigger a penalty for each day of delay.
Pension costs for your household
If your employee was never enrolled in a pension fund, your household may later have to pay those contributions plus interest through an actuarial calculation.
Accidents without coverage
Without ARL coverage, if your employee is injured in your home, the medical costs may fall on your family.
Choose how you work with us
A clear price from the start, based on the number of people working for your household.
Monthly household plan
PILA, payroll, benefits and reminders every month, for a fixed fee.
Pay per service
A contract, an enrollment or a final settlement, whenever you need it.
In English
If you are a foreigner employing staff at home in Colombia, we work with you in English.
Questions households ask us most
Is a written contract required for my housekeeper in Colombia?
Yes. Since Law 2466 of 2025, employment contracts with domestic workers must be in writing. We draft it according to your situation.
If they only work a few days a week, do I still have to enroll them?
Yes. The employment relationship exists even for day workers. Colombian rules allow social security contributions in proportion to the days worked, and benefits are also paid in proportion to the time worked.
How much is the service bonus (prima)?
The prima equals 30 days of salary per year worked and is paid in two installments: half by June 30 and half by December 20, in proportion to the time worked.
What if I never enrolled my employee?
You can still catch up. We review the time worked, calculate what is pending and set up a plan to regularize the situation in the most orderly way possible.
Are nannies and drivers considered domestic workers?
Yes. People who work directly for a household in childcare, driving, gardening or home maintenance are domestic workers under Colombian law.
I am a foreigner living in Colombia. Can I hire staff for my home?
Yes, and the same rules apply as for any Colombian household. We support you in English from the first contract to monthly payroll.
Formalizing your household staff is easier than it looks.
Tell us about your situation and we will reply with a tailored quote.
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