Agricultural Field Worker Contract Colombia (Contrato de Trabajo del Campo)

An Agricultural Field Worker Contract Colombia (Contrato de Trabajo del Campo) is a formal written employment agreement governed by Articles 233 through 238 of the Codigo Sustantivo del Trabajo (CST) — Decreto Ley 2663 de 1950 — establishing the terms under which a rural worker (trabajador del campo) performs agricultural, livestock, forestry, aquaculture, or general estate management activities for an employer who operates farming, ranching, or rural production enterprises. Article 233 of the CST defines trabajadores del campo as those who perform their duties in rural areas dedicated to agricultural or livestock activities, distinguishing them from urban industrial or commercial workers.

The constitutional foundation for agricultural worker protection in Colombia stems from Article 64 of the Constitucion Politica de 1991, which establishes a special State obligation to promote progressive access to land ownership, technical training, credit, and marketing support for rural workers. Article 65 guarantees special State protection for agricultural production and food sovereignty. Article 25 of the Constitution declares work a right and social obligation under dignified conditions, while Article 53 establishes fundamental labour principles — equality of opportunity, minimum living wage (salario minimo vital y movil), irrenunciability of minimum benefits, and the primacy of reality over formal agreements (primacia de la realidad).

Article 234 of the CST establishes that agricultural workers enjoy the same rights and prestaciones sociales as all other workers, with the specific adaptations provided in Articles 235 through 238. Article 235 addresses the special salary regime for field workers — the employer may agree to provide remuneration partially in kind (salario en especie) through housing, food, or agricultural products, subject to the limitations of CST Article 129: in-kind payments cannot exceed 50% of total salary for workers earning the SMLMV or 30% for those earning above the SMLMV. Article 236 regulates the provision of housing — where the employer provides accommodation on the farm or estate, the housing conditions must meet basic standards of dignity, hygiene, and safety.

All social security obligations under Ley 100 de 1993 apply fully to agricultural workers. The employer must register the worker with the Sistema General de Seguridad Social Integral: health coverage through an Entidad Promotora de Salud (EPS) with contributions of employer 8.5% and worker 4%; pension through Colpensiones or a private Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP) with contributions of employer 12% and worker 4%; and occupational risk insurance through an Administradora de Riesgos Laborales (ARL) funded entirely by the employer. Agricultural work is typically classified as Risk Class III (medium risk) or Risk Class IV (high risk) under Decreto 1295 de 1994, with ARL rates between 2.436% and 4.350% depending on the specific activities — machinery operation, pesticide handling, and livestock management carry higher risk classifications.

The Ministerio del Trabajo (MinTrabajo) through Decreto 1072 de 2015 — the Decreto Unico Reglamentario del Sector Trabajo — consolidates regulatory provisions applicable to agricultural employment. Employers must implement a Sistema de Gestion de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (SG-SST) per Resolucion 0312 de 2019, adapted to the specific occupational risks of agricultural work including pesticide exposure, sun exposure, heavy lifting, machinery operation, and animal handling. The SMLMV for 2025 is COP$1.423.500 per Decreto 2292 de 2024.

Article 237 of the CST addresses the special working hours regime for field workers. Unlike urban workers governed by CST Article 158, agricultural workers are subject to the task-based working day (jornada por tarea) — the worker completes assigned agricultural tasks rather than working fixed hourly schedules. The working hours must nonetheless allow for adequate rest periods, and the Corte Constitucional has held that agricultural workers are entitled to the progressive reduction of working hours under Ley 2101 de 2021 where their activities can be measured in hourly terms.

Ley 1900 de 2018 established additional protections for rural workers, mandating that prestaciones sociales for agricultural workers be calculated on the total salary including in-kind payments. Parafiscal contributions — 4% to Cajas de Compensacion Familiar (CCF), and where applicable 3% to ICBF and 2% to SENA — are calculated on the reported payroll and submitted through the PILA. The Agencia de Desarrollo Rural (ADR) and the Agencia Nacional de Tierras (ANT) administer programs supporting rural employment formalization. Labour disputes involving agricultural workers fall under the jurisdiction of Juzgados Laborales del Circuito, with appeals to the Sala Laboral of the Tribunal Superior de Distrito Judicial.

An Agricultural Field Worker Contract Colombia is required whenever a Colombian employer engages a worker to perform duties in rural areas dedicated to agricultural, livestock, forestry, aquaculture, or estate management activities. Articles 233 through 238 of the Codigo Sustantivo del Trabajo establish the specific legal framework for trabajo del campo, and CST Article 234 mandates that agricultural workers receive the same rights and benefits as all other workers.

The contract is needed when a landowner (propietario), tenant farmer (arrendatario), agricultural enterprise, or rural estate manager hires workers for crop cultivation (siembra y cosecha), livestock management (ganaderia), poultry farming (avicultura), flower cultivation (floricultura), coffee production (caficultura), sugarcane harvesting (caña de azucar), dairy operations (lecheria), fruit harvesting (fruticultura), forestry operations (silvicultura), aquaculture (acuicultura), or general farm maintenance. Under CST Article 233, the defining characteristic is the performance of work in rural settings for agricultural or livestock purposes.

A Contrato de Trabajo del Campo is required when the employer provides in-kind salary components under CST Article 235 — housing on the farm, meals, or agricultural products as partial compensation. The written contract must specify the cash and in-kind salary components separately, with the in-kind portion not exceeding 50% of total salary for workers earning the SMLMV (COP$1.423.500 for 2025) under CST Article 129. Without written documentation, disputes over the true salary composition create difficulties in calculating prestaciones sociales and social security contributions.

The document is needed for ARL compliance. Agricultural activities carry elevated occupational risks — pesticide exposure under Decreto 1843 de 1991, heavy machinery operation, sun and heat exposure, animal handling injuries, and musculoskeletal disorders from physical labour. The employer must notify the ARL of the specific agricultural activities to obtain the correct risk classification under Decreto 1295 de 1994. The SG-SST under Resolucion 0312 de 2019 must be adapted to cover field-specific hazards.

The contract is required when hiring seasonal agricultural workers (trabajadores de temporada) for harvest periods. Under CST Article 45 literal d, seasonal agricultural work may be contracted as obra o labor determinada — lasting for the duration of a specific harvest or planting season. The written contract must clearly define the specific task and anticipated duration to prevent automatic reclassification as an indefinite contract.

MinTrabajo and the Unidad Administrativa Especial de Organizaciones Solidarias monitor labour formalization in the agricultural sector. The Ley 1900 de 2018 and Ley 160 de 1994 (Ley de Reforma Agraria) establish policy frameworks promoting formal employment in rural Colombia. The UGPP audits agricultural employer compliance with social security contributions, particularly in large-scale agribusiness operations.

A valid Agricultural Field Worker Contract Colombia under Articles 233 through 238 of the Codigo Sustantivo del Trabajo must contain the following elements to be enforceable and to meet social security obligations under Ley 100 de 1993 and occupational safety requirements under Decreto 1072 de 2015.

Identification of Parties: Full legal name, cedula de ciudadania number (for Colombian nationals) or cedula de extranjeria (for foreign residents), and domicile of both the employer (empleador) and agricultural worker (trabajador del campo). Where the employer is a legal entity — a Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS) under Ley 1258 de 2008, an agricultural cooperative, or another corporate form — the company's NIT (Numero de Identificacion Tributaria assigned by the DIAN), Camara de Comercio registration, and representante legal identification must be included. Where the employer is a natural person (persona natural), the cedula de ciudadania serves as the primary identification.

Farm or Estate Location: The name and address of the farm, estate, or rural property (finca, hacienda, predio rural) where the worker will perform duties. The location should include the vereda (rural subdivision), municipio, and departamento. CST Article 233 requires identification of the rural setting where agricultural or livestock activities take place. Where the worker operates across multiple parcels, all locations should be listed.

Agricultural Activities: Detailed description of the specific agricultural, livestock, or rural activities the worker will perform — crop cultivation (siembra, mantenimiento, cosecha), livestock management (pastoreo, ordeño, alimentacion), machinery operation (tractor, fumigadora, sistema de riego), pest control (fumigacion, control de plagas), forestry (tala, reforestacion), or general estate maintenance (cercas, caminos, infraestructura). The description determines the ARL risk classification under Decreto 1295 de 1994.

Contract Duration: Statement of whether the contract is indefinite (a termino indefinido under CST Article 45), fixed-term (a termino fijo under CST Article 46), or for a specific task or harvest (obra o labor determinada under CST Article 45 literal d). Agricultural employment frequently uses the obra o labor modality for seasonal activities — the contract must identify the specific task (cosecha de cafe, zafra de caña, recoleccion de flores) and the estimated duration. A trial period may be stipulated in writing — maximum two months for indefinite contracts under CST Article 76.

Work Schedule: CST Article 237 permits the task-based working day (jornada por tarea) for agricultural workers — the worker completes assigned tasks rather than working fixed hourly schedules. The contract must specify whether the arrangement is task-based or hourly. For hourly arrangements, the schedule must comply with CST Article 158 as modified by Ley 2101 de 2021. Rest days — Sundays and legal holidays — are mandatory under CST Article 172.

Salary Structure: The agreed monthly salary in Colombian Pesos (COP), which must meet or exceed the SMLMV (COP$1.423.500 for 2025 per Decreto 2292 de 2024). The contract must separately specify the cash component and any in-kind component (salario en especie) under CST Articles 129 and 235. In-kind payments — housing, meals, agricultural products — cannot exceed 50% of total salary at the SMLMV level. Ley 1900 de 2018 mandates that prestaciones sociales be calculated on the total salary including in-kind payments.

Housing Provisions: Where the employer provides housing on the farm or estate under CST Article 236, the contract must specify the housing conditions, maintenance responsibilities, and the assigned monetary value of the accommodation for salary calculation purposes. The housing must meet basic standards of dignity, hygiene, potable water access, and safety. The Corte Constitucional has held that substandard rural worker housing violates the fundamental right to dignified living conditions under Article 51 of the Constitution.

Prestaciones Sociales: All mandatory benefits under CST Article 234 — cesantias deposited in the Fondo de Cesantias by 14 February under Ley 50 de 1990 Article 14; intereses sobre cesantias at 12% annual paid by 31 January under CST Article 249; prima de servicios in two instalments under CST Article 306; vacaciones of 15 business days per year under CST Article 186; and dotacion three times yearly for workers earning up to two SMLMV under CST Article 230. All calculations include in-kind salary under Ley 1900 de 2018.

Social Security Affiliation: Registration with the Sistema General de Seguridad Social Integral under Ley 100 de 1993 — EPS (employer 8.5%, worker 4%), AFP/Colpensiones (employer 12%, worker 4%), and ARL (employer-funded at the rate corresponding to the agricultural risk classification). Contributions are reported through the PILA system.

Occupational Health and Safety: The employer must implement the SG-SST under Resolucion 0312 de 2019 and Decreto 1072 de 2015, adapted to agricultural hazards. The contract should reference training obligations for: safe pesticide handling under Decreto 1843 de 1991, personal protective equipment (PPE) provision, sun and heat exposure protocols, machinery safety procedures, and first aid access in rural locations. Where the worker handles agrochemicals, compliance with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) adopted by Decreto 1496 de 2018 is mandatory.

Forms-legal.com provides this Agricultural Field Worker Contract Colombia template as a practical starting point for formalizing rural employment relationships. Each contract should be reviewed by a licensed abogado laboralista to confirm compliance with sector-specific agricultural regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and occupational health requirements particular to the agricultural activities performed. MinTrabajo, the UGPP, and the Agencia de Desarrollo Rural (ADR) monitor compliance with agricultural labour standards.