By means of the 4th Supplement of Official Register No. 240 dated March 10, 2026, the Ministry of Labor, published the Ministerial Agreement MDT-2026-059 (hereinafter the “Agreement”) was published. The Agreement establishes the Procedure for the Authorization of Special Work Shifts or Schedules and the Efficient Workday for Development modality. Key points include the following:
- Its purpose is to regulate the approval process for special shifts or schedules, as well as the efficient workday modality for development.
The Agreement revokes Ministerial Agreement No. MDT-2018-0219 and all its amendments.
- Special Shifts are defined as:
- Those involving work for more than 5 consecutive days and including additional or accumulated rest days.
- Those involving work for fewer than 5 consecutive days with rest intervals of less than 2 consecutive days.
These apply when, due to evident conditions of the industry, operations, or tasks, activities cannot be interrupted for technical reasons or because such interruption would cause harm to the public interest or other employer needs.
- Special Schedules are those involving rotating shifts.
Any arrangements that do not fall under special schedules or shifts and that remain within legal parameters do not require authorization from the Ministry of Labor, only an explicit agreement between employers and employees.
- These agreements must be registered on the SUT platform within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of execution.
- Priority in Youth Hiring: When the implementation of special shifts or schedules creates new job positions, the Ministry of Labor will give priority in the processing of applications that demonstrate the hiring of young people between 18 and 29 years of age, provided the hiring is carried out through the “Encuentra Empleo” platform.
- The Agreement also introduces the Efficient Workday for Development, which allows employers and employes to agree on a work schedule that distributes 40 weekly hours into daily shifts of up to 10 hours within 5 days per week.
This workday may be in-person, remote, or hybrid, with the objective of promoting family stability, efficiency, free time, youth employment, and gender equality, and it also allows compensation or weekly use of working hours.
Agreements regarding the efficient workday must be included in the employment contract or in an amendment to the originally agreed work schedule. This agreement must be registered on the SUT platform within 30 days after being agreed upon.
- Medical technologists (radiologists) may work 6 hours per day exposed to radiation, up to 30 hours per week, and 2 additional hours per day on administrative tasks related to their duties, completing a maximum schedule of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.
- Drivers in an employment relationship may not perform their duties in shifts exceeding 12 hours.
Edmundo Ramos, Partner at CorralRosales
eramos@corralrosales.com
+593 2 2544144
