Colombian Government Makes Work-From-Home The Law For All Public & Private Companies Whenever Possible

Fighting the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic, Colombia’s Interior Minister Alicia Victoria Arango Olmos has signed interior ministry Decree 749 of 2020, under the auspices of President Ivan Duque, outlining mandatory public health measures applicable to all citizens, foreigners, government entities and businesses present within Colombia.

Among other measures, the president explicitly ordered telework modalities for all businesses and government agencies where possible. This would exclude persons who cannot perform their duties remotely such as nurses, retail cashiers, construction workers, etc.

Article 6 of Decree 749 of 2020 states: Telework and work from home. During the duration of the sanitary emergency caused by the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic, public and private sector entities will procure that their employees and contractors whose presence is not indispensable in the workplace, to perform their functions and obligations under the modalities of telework, work-from-home, or other similar.

The wide-ranging order also mandates biosafety protocols for those who much be in the workplace or conducting personal activities in public. Public gatherings remain prohibited, and casinos, bars, dance halls, and other “establishments of dance, leisure and entertainment” remain closed.

Restaurants may only serve carryout or delivery, gyms, pools, spas, and sports courts remain closed as do cinemas, theaters, and churches. Parks may be used on a limited, individual basis, but group outdoor activities remain prohibited. Public consumption of alcohol is prohibited but alcohol sales for in-home consumption are permitted.

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