Labor Law

Honduran workers are entitled to a thirteenth-month bonus (aguinaldo) payable by December 20, 2026, calculated as the average of ordinary monthly wages earned during the year, though employers and employees may agree on an earlier date.

The director of Honduras's social security institute announced plans to file lawsuits against employers who fail to pay mandatory worker contributions, aiming to recover unpaid amounts.

Business council leader Gabriel Molina said negotiations are underway with employers and other sectors to reform Honduras's part-time employment law, which officials say is overly complex and discourages investment, aiming to support small and mid-size companies and new entrepreneurs.

Alberto Cruz, president of Congress's Labor Commission, said the chamber has not formally received a proposal to reform Honduras's part-time employment law, though he reaffirmed the commission's openness to suggestions from business and unions that do not violate national law or international labor treaties.

Congress eliminated a restriction capping labor settlements at 80% of benefits to allow Hondurans suing the state to negotiate full agreements without government obstacles, effective immediately.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano introduced a bill to repeal a budget provision that limits labor-settlement agreements with the State to 80% of benefits paid over three years, arguing that settlement terms should be left to voluntary negotiation between the parties.

Honduran labor law requires employers to pay workers double their daily wage for any work performed during the Morazán Week holiday (October 7–10), which combines three October civic observances.

Honduras's main business council, Cohep, is seeking modifications to the Part-Time Employment Law, calling it a failure, while labor groups warn the proposed changes would revive wage-hour abuses.

A congressman has proposed allowing professional nurses in Honduras to retire voluntarily at age 58 with at least 30 years of service and required contributions, citing the physical and emotional toll of healthcare work.

Congress amended the economic reactivation law to allow decentralized government agencies and municipalities to resolve labor and administrative disputes internally through mediation, bypassing labor and administrative courts.

COHEP, Honduras's business council, met with Congress's labor committee to evaluate the Part-Time Employment Law, urging technical dialogue to strengthen legal frameworks that encourage investment and formal job creation.

The Labor Committee of Congress began reviewing private-sector concerns about the part-time employment law approved in March, with proposals expected in coming days to address minimum weekly hours, special provisions for teachers and doctors, and new digital and creative-economy sectors.

Congress is reviewing the Part-Time Employment Law following concerns from business and labor groups, preparing a security-focused criminal-code package, and has begun analyzing the 2027 national budget.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano instructed the Labor Committee to expedite a review of the Part-Time Employment Law, approved in March, to address employer and worker concerns and ensure the law effectively generates jobs for young people.

Honduras's 2026–2027 wage agreement includes a safeguard clause that triggers an automatic minimum-wage adjustment if year-on-year inflation in December surpasses 7%, protecting workers' purchasing power against rising prices.

Cohep, Honduras's main business confederation, is preparing a revised bill on hourly employment to present to Congress, seeking to address shortcomings in earlier labor legislation and boost job creation.

Honduran labor law requires employers to pay double salary to workers laboring on September 15 (Independence Day) and grant them a compensatory rest day during the same week.

Cohep president Anabel Gallardo said legal and economic uncertainty is a major barrier to attracting investment and formal employment, citing losses in the power sector, flaws in part-time labor law, and the need for job creation to retain Hondurans rather than rely on migration and remittances.

Honduras's business community will present Congress with reforms to the Partial Employment Law by late August, seeking to ease hiring rules and expand job opportunities, particularly in call centers and digital-economy sectors.

Honduras's tourism industry chamber says the part-time employment law approved by Congress in March has proven unworkable in practice, citing difficulty guaranteeing fixed hours or event-based contracts that the law requires, and is asking lawmakers to revise or reconsider its provisions.

Congress approved reforms to elder-care law adding free annual medical checkups, home care, active-aging programs, a non-contributory pension for impoverished seniors, and tax incentives for employers hiring workers over 60.

The Part-Time Employment Law, enacted in March 2026 and intended to create 250,000 jobs, has produced only 60 registered contracts so far, prompting business groups to seek reforms before the year-end holiday season; the Labor Secretary attributes slow uptake to widespread labor informality.

A congressman proposes legislation allowing cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy to work remotely from home with medical authorization, citing reduced mobility and increased infection risk during treatment.

Honduras's Part-Time Employment Law, approved in March 2026 with promised creation of 40,000 jobs, has generated only 59 registered contracts as of June, prompting officials and ruling-party lawmakers to acknowledge the law has failed to meet expectations.

The president of Tegucigalpa's Chamber of Commerce and Industries says Honduras's newly approved part-time employment law is a step forward but contains ambiguities that limit its effectiveness, and urges government, Congress, and stakeholders to form a dialogue table to strengthen and clarify the law through consensus.

A congressman has proposed a national student employment program offering tax incentives to companies hiring students aged 16–30 for part-time or flexible work compatible with their education, with full labor protections.

The cabinet approved an executive decree prohibiting the import of goods produced under forced labor, fulfilling Honduras's commitments to the International Labour Organization and the US free-trade agreement.