Labor Vacation in Colombia: How to Calculate, Accumulate, and Compensate Them in Money (CST)

Short answer: Under an employment contract, each year of service gives 15 consecutive business days of paid vacation (art. 186 of the CST). While the contract is in force, only half can be paid in money, in writing and at the worker's request. When the contract ends, any unused vacation is compensated in money, including proportionally if the full year was not completed.

Almost all payroll questions about vacation arise from mixing up three paths: resting, exchanging half for cash and settling when leaving. Here we separate them, with the article that supports each one. This guide is for employment contracts, verbal or written. Anyone under a service provision contract does not settle vacation under the CST with these rules.

How many days they are and how they are counted

Anyone who provides services for one year is entitled to 15 consecutive business days of paid vacation. There is one specific exception: in private establishments that fight tuberculosis, and for those who operate X-ray equipment, it is 15 paid days for every six months of service.

The business day follows the agreed work schedule. According to the LegalApp guide of the Ministry of Justice (article dated June 2, 2026):

• If you work Monday to Friday, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays do not count.
• If you work Monday to Saturday, the work week counts six days, not five.
• A public holiday that falls within the rest period does not use up one of the 15 days.

That is why the block on the calendar is usually longer than 15 days. The 2023 Ministry of Labor opinion mentions that it can be around 20 to 23 days depending on the weekends and holidays that fall within it. It is an illustrative example, not a fixed legal duration or extra salary days.

Who chooses the date and what must be in writing

The timing is set by the employer, at the latest within the year following accrual, and must be announced 15 days in advance. The worker may request them, but cannot choose the week on their own. The employer must also keep a record with the start date, the start and end of the rest and the pay (art. 187).

If the vacation is interrupted for a justified cause, the right to resume it is not lost. My advice for small businesses: put the notice and the record in writing, even in a simple format. It is the first thing lost when payroll is handled through WhatsApp.

How much is paid during the vacation

During the rest period, the ordinary salary the worker was earning on the day the vacation began is paid (art. 192). Only the value of work on mandatory rest days and overtime work are excluded. If the salary is variable, the average of what was earned in the year immediately before the grant is used.

One point that causes confusion: the legal transportation allowance is not a salary factor under Law 15 of 1959, but Law 1 of 1963 includes it for calculating social benefits. For that reason, it is not prudent to claim that it "always counts" or "never counts" in vacation pay; confirm your case with an accountant or the Ministry of Labor. Also do not build the base by adding salary, extras, surcharges and the allowance as some older guides do, because art. 192 says otherwise regarding extras and mandatory rest days.

The net amount that reaches the bank account, with health and pension deductions taken out, is not the base. For that difference, see the net salary calculation and payroll deductions; for the percentage for work on a holiday, see the Sunday and holiday surcharge article. The bonus (prima) has a different base and formula, explained in the service bonus guide.

Paying half in money while the contract is in force

While the contract is active, employer and worker may agree in writing, at the worker's request, to pay up to half of the vacation in money. The other part is taken as rest. For that compensation, numeral 3 of art. 189 uses the last salary earned as the base, a different rule from the average in art. 192 that governs the rest period.

Here is my opinion: be careful with agreements that trade all the rest for money. The employer cannot impose full payment in cash, and the worker cannot waive rest through an arrangement or a release.

Accumulating vacation: how far you can go

Art. 190 sets clear rules:

• Each year at least six consecutive business days must be taken, and these do not accumulate.
• The remaining days may accumulate for up to two years.
• Up to four years only for technical or specialized workers, workers of trust or management, or foreigners providing services far from their family's residence.
• If only six days are taken in a year, it is presumed that the rest accumulates.

Accumulation is an agreement, not an oversight. If years pass without anyone scheduling the rest, the debt grows and the surprise comes at settlement.

When the contract ends: the final compensation

If the contract ends and vacation remains unused, it is compensated in money. Law 995 of 2005 clarifies that, if a full year was not reached, the compensation is proportional to the time actually worked, and it also covers public employees and official workers. That law repealed numeral 2 of art. 189, so no rule from that provision that limited compensation on leaving applies.

For fixed-term and work-or-task contracts, art. 46 of the CST (as amended by Law 2466 of 2025) says the same: proportional payment of vacation and benefits for any time worked. Law 2466 does not appear as a reform of arts. 186 to 192 in the Senate compilation consulted.

The formula used by the 2023 Ministry of Labor opinion for final compensation is:

V = (S × T) / 720, equivalent to ½ × S × T / 360, where S is the salary earned and T the time worked. It is a 2023 opinion that provides guidance; the law is the CST and Law 995. Do not apply that 720 as a blanket rule to the rest period: they are different paths. A dismissal also does not erase vacation already accrued; severance is explained separately in the guide to severance for dismissal without just cause.

Regarding the release (paz y salvo): the right to vacation appears as non-conciliable in the Ministry of Labor's conciliation form, and the value of unused vacation can be disputed if there is doubt about accumulation or compensation. Signing does not necessarily close the matter.

A specific date: Monday, November 2, 2026

November 1 is on the list of public holidays in art. 177 of the CST. When it does not fall on a Monday, the paid holiday moves to the following Monday. In 2026, November 1 is a Sunday, so the observed holiday is Monday, November 2. If your vacation rest includes that Monday, it does not count as one of the 15 business days.

If you are hiring: what to make clear in the job posting

Anyone posting a job avoids repeated messages if the listing states the basics: the work schedule (which defines the business day), the modality, who schedules vacations and that money does not replace all the rest. According to active listings on Colombia Move (October 2026), the technology category in jobs currently has only one active listing, and the education category has none, so a clear vacancy stands out. You can explore the jobs section to see how listings are written.

Frequently asked questions

❓ How many vacation days does the law give for one year of work?

It is 15 consecutive business days after one year under an employment contract. In private tuberculosis-fighting establishments and for those who operate X-ray equipment, it is 15 days for every six months. It does not apply to those providing services under a civil or commercial contract (verify with the official source).

❓ Do Saturdays and public holidays count within the 15 days?

No, when that day the person does not work or it is a public holiday. On a Monday-to-Friday schedule, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays do not count; on a Monday-to-Saturday schedule, the work week counts six days. That is why the rest period on the calendar lasts more than 15 days (verify with the official source).

❓ Can I be paid all my vacation in cash without taking time off?

No, as long as the contract remains in force. Art. 189 allows paying in money at most half, in writing and because the worker requested it. The other half is taken as rest. Only when the contract ends is what was not taken compensated in money (verify with the official source).

❓ How much vacation pay do I get if I resign before completing the year?

A cash compensation proportional to the time worked is paid, according to Law 995 of 2005. The 2023 Ministry of Labor opinion uses V = (S × T) / 720, with S the salary earned and T the time. Before the year is complete, you cannot demand the 15 rest days (verify with the official source).

❓ How do I avoid a scam or abuse with a vacation release (paz y salvo)?

Read the document before signing and do not accept waiving rest: the right to vacation appears as non-conciliable. The value of unused vacation can be disputed if there is doubt about accumulation or compensation. Keep a copy of the vacation record and the payments (verify with the official source).

❓ Can I combine vacation from several years?

Not all of it. Each year at least six consecutive business days must be taken, and these do not accumulate. The rest may accumulate for up to two years, or up to four only in the cases of art. 190, such as trust or management workers (verify with the official source).

❓ Where do I publish a job posting that makes the vacation rule clear?

In the jobs section of Colombia Move, within the category that matches your position, such as technology. Write the work schedule, the modality and how vacations are scheduled in the text of the listing so that candidates read it from the start.