Sectors

  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Services
  • Consumer goods
  • Construction
  • Oil & Gas
  • Financial services
  • Banking
  • Insurance
  • Fintech
  • Capital markets
  • Pension and severance funds
  • Cooperatives and the solidarity economy
  • Healthcare
  • Medical devices
  • Biotechnology
  • Cosmetics and personal care
  • Energy
  • Renewable energy
  • Mining
  • Petrochemicals
  • Natural gas
  • Utilities
  • Water and sanitation
  • Lubricants
  • Manufacturing
  • Chemicals
  • Automotive
  • Metalworking
  • Plastics and packaging
  • Paper and cardboard
  • Textiles and apparel
  • Building materials
  • Agribusiness
  • Agriculture
  • Floriculture
  • Palm oil
  • Livestock
  • Fishing and aquaculture
  • Forestry
  • Food and beverages
  • Retail
  • Trade
  • E-commerce
  • Fashion
  • Infrastructure
  • Real estate
  • Transportation
  • Mass transit
  • Logistics
  • Aviation
  • Ports and foreign trade
  • Technology
  • Software
  • Telecommunications
  • Media and communications
  • Advertising and marketing
  • Startups and entrepreneurship
  • BPO and contact centers
  • Staffing and HR services
  • Private security
  • Cleaning and maintenance
  • Professional services
  • Consulting
  • Hospitality and tourism
  • Food service
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • Education
  • Public sector
  • International cooperation
  • NGOs and humanitarian sector
  • Trade associations
  • Environment
  • And companies of every size

When to call us

Employment relationships are the heart of any company, and also one of its biggest sources of risk. At Scola Abogados we help employers of every size manage their people with legal certainty: from the employment contract and internal work rules to defense in proceedings before a labor judge or the UGPP, Colombia's social security contributions authority.

We are employment lawyers with experience in preventive advisory work, collective labor law, social security and litigation. We speak plainly, respond quickly and know your operations. We serve clients from Bogotá, Cali, Barranquilla and Medellín, with reach throughout Colombia.

  • You're about to hire, change working conditions or terminate a contract and want to do it without risk.

  • You received an inquiry, an official assessment or a penalty from the UGPP.

  • You have a union, a list of demands or a collective bargaining process under way.

  • An employee or former employee has sued you or filed a complaint with the Ministry of Labor.

  • You need to adapt your company to the labor reform and to the changes in working hours and premium pay.

  • You're bringing in foreign staff or sending employees to work abroad.

What we do in employment law

  • Employment Law Advisory
  • Collective Labor Law
  • Immigration Law
  • Social Security, Pension Law and UGPP Inquiries
  • Human Resources Management
  • Business and Human Rights
  • Audits and Special Projects
  • Employment Litigation

Who will work with you

The 37 people in Employment Law and Social Security who know your company inside out.

Meet the whole team

Frequently asked questions

Don't see yours? Write to us and we'll answer.

What does an employment lawyer do for a company?

They prevent and resolve the risks in the relationship with employees: drafting contracts and internal work rules, guiding disciplinary processes and terminations, advising on payroll, social security and contributions, dealing with the UGPP and the Ministry of Labor, managing relations with unions and defending the company in employment litigation.

Can you defend my company in a UGPP audit or penalty proceeding?

Yes. We review the inquiry, reconstruct the payments and supporting records, prepare the response and, if needed, file the appeals and take the dispute to the administrative courts. Ideally, contact us as soon as the first inquiry arrives, because the deadlines are short.

How can I dismiss an employee without exposing the company?

It depends on the grounds, the type of contract and whether the employee has any special protection (union immunity, health-related job security, maternity or pre-retirement protection, among others). Before you decide, we review the case, the procedure required by law and by your internal work rules, and the cost of each alternative.

Do you work with companies outside Bogotá?

Yes. We have offices in Bogotá, Cali, Barranquilla and Medellín and handle litigation, inspections and negotiations nationwide. For matters abroad we work with partner firms, and you keep talking to the same team.

How do you charge for employment law advice?

By the hour, with a fixed fee per project, with prepaid hours packages or with a monthly advisory retainer. Together we choose the arrangement that best fits your operations and agree on it from the start, with no surprises.

What we write about employment law (in Spanish)

See all notes
Decreto 720 de 2026: medidas preventivas del Ministerio del Trabajo y sus efectos para las empresas
Derecho Laboral y Seguridad Social· In Spanish

Decreto 720 de 2026: medidas preventivas del Ministerio del Trabajo y sus efectos para las empresas

Se regulan las funciones preventivas del Ministerio del Trabajo El Ministerio del Trabajo ahora puede intervenir antes de que una situación de riesgo se convierta en una vulneración de los derechos de los trabajadores. La prevención ya no es opcional. Es una estrategia empresarial. ¿Qué cambia? El Decreto 720 de 2026 incorpora al Decreto 1072 …

Scola Abogados

Prestación de servicios: ¿cuándo puede convertirse en un contrato de trabajo?
Derecho Laboral y Seguridad Social· In Spanish

Prestación de servicios: ¿cuándo puede convertirse en un contrato de trabajo?

La naturaleza civil o comercial que las partes atribuyan formalmente a una relación contractual no determina, por sí sola, la inexistencia de un contrato de trabajo. En aplicación del principio de primacía de la realidad, la jurisprudencia de la Corte Suprema de Justicia ha señalado que, para establecer la existencia de una relación laboral, debe …

Scola Abogados