Is It Possible to Ask a Company to Make an Advance on the Christmas Bonus?

Labor and employment attorney Camilo Cuervo was quoted in an article published by La República about the possibility of requesting the Christmas bonus in advance at Colombian companies. According to labor regulations, the premium payment must be made "at most" on June 30 and within the first 20 days in December. The option to request an advance varies depending on the internal policies of each company, and interested employees must follow a formal process, submitting a written request to the corresponding department. Acceptance depends on the company's disposition, and if approved, terms and conditions will be established for the return of the advance. Mr. Cuervo explained that if the employer agrees with the worker, the bonus can be received in advance, but it is crucial to have a supporting document to justify the lower amount paid.

"The law establishes a maximum payment date, not a minimum, that is, what is not prohibited is allowed; in fact that already happened during the pandemic, many companies chose to pay the premium, which should have been paid in June, in May, because they were companies that had suspended employees or had implemented salary reductions,” he said.

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