Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia (Política de Acoso Laboral — Ley 1010/2006)

The Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia (Política de Prevención y Manejo del Acoso Laboral) is a mandatory organizational document required by Ley 1010 de 2006 — Colombia's thorough anti-harassment statute — establishing the company's commitment to preventing, detecting, and addressing workplace harassment (acoso laboral) in all its forms. Ley 1010 de 2006, promulgated on January 23, 2006, defines workplace harassment in Article 2 as any persistent or repeated conduct — whether by actions, words, behavior, attitudes, or coercive measures — that humiliates and intimidates a worker, diminishes their dignity or physical or mental integrity, or prevents or impedes access to the workplace or professional development.

Ley 1010 identifies specific forms of harassment in Article 7, organized into six categories: maltrato laboral (abusive treatment including physical or verbal aggression, insults, humiliation, and discriminatory acts); persecución laboral (persecution including unreasonable workload, impossible deadlines, arbitrary transfers, and repeated unwarranted criticism); discriminación laboral (discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political opinion, national origin, social class, disability, or age — reinforcing protections under Artículo 13 of the Constitución Política de 1991); entorpecimiento laboral (interference including deliberate obstruction of work tools, information denial, or sabotage of professional relationships); inequidad laboral (inequity including discriminatory assignment of tasks disproportionate to the worker's qualifications); and desprotección laboral (occupational risk exposure including requiring workers to perform tasks without adequate protective equipment in violation of ARL and SG-SST standards).

The Comité de Convivencia Laboral (Workplace Coexistence Committee) is the institutional mechanism established by Resolución 652 de 2012 of the Ministerio del Trabajo and the Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social to handle workplace harassment complaints within the organization. Article 1 of Resolución 652 de 2012 mandates that all employers with ten or more workers (both public and private) create and maintain a Comité de Convivencia Laboral. Resolución 1356 de 2012 further regulated the Comité's composition, election procedures, and operation. The Comité consists of equal numbers of employer-appointed and worker-elected representatives — two from each side for organizations with up to 200 workers, and three from each side for larger organizations. Committee members serve two-year terms and cannot be dismissed without prior MinTrabajo authorization, as they enjoy the special employment stability (fuero) protection established by Article 11 of Resolución 652 de 2012.

The constitutional foundation for Ley 1010 derives from multiple provisions of the Constitución Política de 1991: Article 25 (dignified work), Article 53 (labor rights protection), Article 43 (gender equality), and Article 44 (special child protection). The Corte Constitucional upheld the constitutionality of Ley 1010 in Sentencia C-738 de 2006, confirming that the law's harassment definition and sanction regime are compatible with the constitution's protection of freedom of expression and management authority, provided that legitimate managerial directives and performance management are not categorized as harassment.

The legal framework governing the Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia (Política de Acoso Laboral — Ley 1010/2006) in Colombia draws on several key statutes and regulatory bodies. Under the Codigo Sustantivo del Trabajo (CST), Colombian employment law governs individual and collective labour relations. The Ministerio del Trabajo enforces compliance and issues regulations. The Sistema General de Seguridad Social (EPS, ARL, Fondo de Pensiones) provides health, occupational risk, and pension coverage. The Unidad de Gestion Pensional y Parafiscales (UGPP) audits employer contributions. The Caja de Compensacion Familiar administers family subsidy benefits. Parties executing a Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia (Política de Acoso Laboral — Ley 1010/2006) in Colombia should confirm the document reflects current law, including any amendments enacted since the original drafting date. The Ley 1010 de 2006; Resolución 652 de 2012; Resolución 1356 de 2012 (Ministerio del Trabajo) sets the foundational requirements.

The Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia is required in the following mandatory and protective circumstances under Ley 1010 de 2006.

Statutory Compliance (10+ Workers): All private and public employers with ten or more workers in Colombia are required by Resolución 652 de 2012 to establish a Comité de Convivencia Laboral and implement a workplace coexistence policy. The policy must be incorporated into or appended to the empresa's reglamento interno de trabajo (RIT) registered with the Ministerio del Trabajo under CST Article 108. MinTrabajo inspectors verify Comité existence and policy compliance during routine labor inspections — absence of a functioning Comité constitutes a regulatory violation subject to administrative fines.

Employee Complaint Activation: When any worker submits a formal queja (complaint) of workplace harassment to the Comité de Convivencia Laboral or directly to the inspector de trabajo, the policy establishes the procedural framework that must be followed: the Comité must convene within five days of receiving the complaint; conduct a confidential investigation; attempt conciliation between parties; and issue a written report with recommended corrective measures within three months under Resolución 652 de 2012 Article 6.

SG-SST Psychosocial Risk Management: Resolución 2646 de 2008 of the Ministerio del Trabajo and Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social identifies workplace harassment as a psychosocial risk factor that must be evaluated and controlled within the SG-SST. Employers must document their harassment prevention measures as part of the psychosocial risk assessment and control plan required by Resolución 2646.

Pre-Litigation Requirement: Article 9 of Ley 1010 de 2006 requires that harassment complaints be submitted to the Comité de Convivencia Laboral or the MinTrabajo inspector before judicial or disciplinary proceedings can be initiated — making the internal policy procedure a mandatory prerequisite for accessing external remedies including judicial protection and PROCURADURIA disciplinary investigation.

Post-Incident Restoration: After a harassment finding, the policy establishes the corrective measures the employer must implement: separation of the harasser from the victim's reporting line, mandatory counseling referrals, performance consequences for the harasser, and follow-up monitoring to verify the cessation of harassment behavior.

Parties in Colombia should prepare a Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia (Política de Acoso Laboral — Ley 1010/2006) proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under the Codigo Sustantivo del Trabajo (CST), Colombian employment law governs individual and collective labour relations. The Ministerio del Trabajo enforces compliance and issues regulations. The Sistema General de Seguridad Social (EPS, ARL, Fondo de Pensiones) provides health, occupational risk, and pension coverage. The Unidad de Gestion Pensional y Parafiscales (UGPP) audits employer contributions. The Caja de Compensacion Familiar administers family subsidy benefits. Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.

A compliant Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia under Ley 1010 de 2006, Resolución 652 de 2012, and Resolución 1356 de 2012 must contain the following essential components.

Policy Statement and Scope: The employer's unequivocal commitment to a harassment-free workplace; the legal basis of the policy (Ley 1010 de 2006); the scope of application covering all workers, contractors, temporary workers, and clients in interactions with the company's workforce; and the employer's recognition of Ley 1010's six categories of prohibited conduct per Article 7.

Definitions: Clear definitions of workplace harassment (acoso laboral) per Ley 1010 Article 2, including: persistent or repeated conduct (the repetition element distinguishes acoso from isolated incidents); conduct aimed at humiliating, intimidating, or diminishing the worker's dignity; and the six specific categories of prohibited behavior. The policy must also define what does NOT constitute harassment: legitimate managerial directives, performance management, disciplinary processes conducted in accordance with the RIT, and honest performance evaluations — per the Corte Constitucional's guidance in Sentencia C-738 de 2006.

Comité de Convivencia Laboral Structure: The composition of the Comité (equal employer and worker representatives as specified by Resolución 1356 de 2012: two members each for organizations with up to 200 workers, three each for larger); election procedures for worker representatives; term duration (two years); prohibition on dismissing Comité members without MinTrabajo authorization; confidentiality obligations of all committee members; and the Comité's functions per Resolución 652 de 2012 Article 6.

Complaint and Investigation Procedure: The formal procedure for submitting a queja: written complaint to the Comité or the RH department; Comité meeting within five days; confidential investigation process; opportunity for the accused to present their version; conciliation attempt between parties; written report with findings and recommendations within three months; and escalation to MinTrabajo inspector if the Comité procedure fails to resolve the situation.

Sanctions and Corrective Measures: The spectrum of sanctions the employer may impose on confirmed harassers under Article 10 of Ley 1010: written reprimand entered in the worker's file; transfer to a different work area; suspension without pay per CST Article 112; and termination with just cause under CST Article 62. For supervisors who are confirmed harassers, Ley 1010 Article 13 establishes additional disciplinary consequences. Criminal sanctions for harassment that rises to the level of coercion or abuse of authority may be pursued by the victim before the Fiscalía General de la Nación under the Código Penal.

Protection Against Retaliation: Explicit prohibition of retaliation against workers who file harassment complaints in good faith; the Comité's obligation to monitor for retaliatory conduct; and the employer's commitment to provide alternative work arrangements or protective measures for complainants pending investigation.

Forms-legal.com provides this Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia as a practical compliance template. Every employer should adapt this policy to their specific organizational context and register it with the Ministerio del Trabajo as part of the updated reglamento interno de trabajo.

Additional compliance elements for a Workplace Harassment Policy Colombia (Política de Acoso Laboral — Ley 1010/2006) used in Colombia include: Under the Codigo Sustantivo del Trabajo (CST), Colombian employment law governs individual and collective labour relations. The Ministerio del Trabajo enforces compliance and issues regulations. The Sistema General de Seguridad Social (EPS, ARL, Fondo de Pensiones) provides health, occupational risk, and pension coverage. The Unidad de Gestion Pensional y Parafiscales (UGPP) audits employer contributions. The Caja de Compensacion Familiar administers family subsidy benefits. Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for Colombia-compliant documentation.