Labor and Employment Law
Reduction of working hours: a global trend reaching Latin America
The reduction of working hours has been a key issue on the legislative agenda worldwide in recent years, and Latin America is no exception. While countries like Chile are already reducing the workweek from 45 to 40 hours and Colombia from 48 to 42, other jurisdictions like Mexico and Peru also have proposals on the table in this regard, but they have not yet been finalized.Finally approved the accumulation of lactation leave, the application priority of regional collective bargaining agreements and unemployment assistance protection
After the previous royal decree-law that introduced these novelties was not validated, which was derogated, Royal Decree-Law 2/2024 has been published, which approves them again with certain changes, such as the possibility of extending the application priority to provincial collective bargaining agreements.Reduction of the maximum working hours: 4-day week or fewer hours in annual calculation?
The question of whether to reduce working hours is being analyzed in different countries. There has been much comment in recent years about the possible reduction of the working week to 4 days. However, this change is not exempt from debate due to the impact it will have on the business organization. For a legislative change in this respect, the formula for implementing this reduction is still to be decided: eliminating one working day a week or reducing the maximum working hours on an annual basis.Occupational risk prevention, in adaptation phase to a new working environment
Close to the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we review some of the challenges posed by occupational risk prevention and its regulation, such as, for example, achieving its true integration into company management, the framework of corporate responsibilities, considering different types of companies or the preventive legal status of self-employed workers.