The provision of the service bonus for the second half of the year is a process involving millions of formal workers in the country and, as he explained Weekly magazine, This is a labor law obligation that must be fulfilled based on the criteria set out in current regulations.
More than 10,500,000 people with an employment contract receive this paymentthe amount of which depends on the hours worked between July and December and the components of the basic salary used to calculate the benefit.
According to the figures published and quoted by Dane Weekly magazinein October 2025Colombia registered 24.37 million of the employed, of which 56.1% Carrying out activities in informal conditions, a situation that prevents access to benefits such as bonuses.
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The obligation lies exclusively with those who have a formal employment contract, which means that the company must calculate the corresponding value based on the compensation earned by each employee.
To delve deeper into the aspects that usually cause inconsistencies, Weekly magazine consulted Viviana Suavita Pachón, director of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences of the Horizonte University Foundation.
The expert claimed that errors continue to occur in determining the amount each employee should receive, pointing out that these errors could lead to deviations from the correct amount.
The aspects most frequently cited by the expert include errors in the salary basis, the treatment of variable payments and the counting of days used for billing.
One of the most common mistakes is not including the transportation allowance when necessary.a situation that changes the base salary of those who earn less than 2 SMLMV. The expert pointed out that this surcharge is mandatory if the employee is within the range established by law. He also pointed out that another common behavior is this Do not use the variable salary averageespecially in the case of fluctuating commissions or revenues that result in partial billings that do not reflect the reality of the period.
Suavita Pachón also explained this Some companies calculate time worked as exactly 30 days, without taking into account that months such as July, August, October and December have 31 days. Fact that changes the final calculation. The expert also pointed out that there is a confusion between the elements that form the basis of the bonus and those that apply to social security, which leads to inconsistencies that were not foreseen by workers.
In order to avoid inconvenience, the director pointed out that it is necessary first to check whether the employee is entitled to the transport allowance and, if necessary, to include it in the settlement basis. He also pointed out that those who receive variable income must be accounted for Semester averageincluding all commissions and additional payments between the July 1st and December 31st. This methodology ensures that it is the actual amount earned and not just the fixed salary.
Regarding the counting of days, the expert recalled the importance of using the exact number between the start and end of the semester, since this element, although it may seem minor, affects the proportion of the amount to be paid. The bonus corresponds to fifteen days of salary for each semester workedor to the proportional value if the time is shorter, a formula that requires precision in recording the time worked.
Given the possibility of receiving an amount other than the corresponding amount, Weekly magazine He explained that workers can perform various actions. The expert stated that the first step is to a direct dialogueby a written request to the payroll or human resources department requesting to review the payroll and make any necessary adjustments. If this management does not receive a satisfactory response, the employee may submit a request formal complaint in front of the employer.
If the internal authorities do not resolve the situation, the employee has the option to contact the Ministry of Labor and file a complaint.
According to information from Semana Magazine, Failure to meet the payment deadline, which corresponds to December 20, may result in sanctions for the company. The expert reiterated the importance of prior verification and timely follow-up to avoid discrepancies affecting work duties.
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