Suspension of emplyment relationships in emergency situations

By: Lic. Rogelio Navas Rodríguez, Labor Law Attorney, Costa Rica 

Did you know that under circumstances like the one brought by Coronavirus (COVID-19), article 74 of the Labor Code allows the suspension of employment relationships without liability for the employer and the employee? Although nowadays many employers can use technology to continue operating from home, there are others that actually need the presence of their employees. In such cases the suspension of the employment agreements is possible to avoid serious and possible unrecoverable losses and damages to the employers, which could result in the loss of many jobs. When there is no raw materials to continue working (if such a situation is not due to the employer's fault) and/or when there is an act of god or force majeure, said suspension is possible. For a suspension to take place, an authorization from the "Inspección General del Trabajo", an office of the Ministry of Labor, is necessary. If you should need assistance with this and other labor-law or labor-related subjects, do not hesitate to contact us at info@costarica-law.com, and we will gladly assist you.