In Colombia, holidays date back to Law 37 of 1905, which established the observance of religious and patriotic days. Although they were initially associated with religious celebrations, today important dates in the country’s history are also commemorated, such as the Battle of Boyacá and the Independence of Colombia, as well as international days. In 1983, Law 51 determined that some of these holidays had to be remunerated by employers, which added an economic component to the celebration of these dates.
The Emiliani Law, created by former minister Raimundo Emiliani Román, modified the structure of some holidays, moving them to the following Monday if they fell between Tuesday and Sunday, to favor the so-called ‘bridges’. This has generated benefits for sectors such as tourism, but also criticism from economists and businessmen who point out that these days of rest affect the productivity of companies, especially in manufacturing, where costs increase due to the extra payments required to maintain operation.
Rosmery Quintero, former president of Acopi, stated that the elimination of holidays could benefit the business sector by allowing more working days under normal conditions, thus reducing associated costs. However, he also noted that this measure would have a negative impact on the tourism sector, which benefits significantly from the trips made during these days. Along these lines, Paula Cortés Calle, president of Anato, highlighted that the festive long weekends are key to promoting domestic tourism and that travel agencies design special packages to take advantage of these dates.
You may be interested in: Minister of Finance presented draft Financing Law
On the other hand, academic experts have questioned the effectiveness of this measure. Óscar Becerra, professor at the University of the Andes, explained that the problem of productivity in Colombia would not be solved by eliminating holidays, since the country, despite having one of the longest working hours among OECD members, continues without reaching optimal productivity levels. According to him, the key is to optimize the use of time and resources, instead of increasing working hours. Edgar Jiménez, professor at the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, agreed that reducing holidays would not guarantee an improvement in productivity, since this is not measured by the time worked, but by the efficiency with which tasks are carried out.
Finally, Jiménez stressed the importance of maintaining these days of rest, since they are not only essential for the tourism economy, but also allow people to carry out recreational and family activities, contributing to a necessary balance in work and personal life.
You can read: Airline losses in Colombia increased 55.4% in 2024