Honduran part-time employment law debate

Debate has emerged in Honduras regarding the effectiveness of the Part-Time Employment Law. Paola Díaz, executive director of the Tegucigalpa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIT), called for legislative reform, arguing that the current law has failed to meet job creation expectations. Citing Secretariat of Labor data showing a reduction in registered part-time contracts, the CCIT proposed increasing flexibility in working hours to allow workers to combine multiple roles.

In response, Deputy Alberto Cruz of the Liberal Party defended the existing law, suggesting that the issue lies in the failure of companies to register workers rather than the legislation itself. Cruz argued that official figures underrepresent the actual number of part-time workers and called for increased inspections to ensure formalization. He further noted that the Labor Code requires modernization to address the digital and creative economies, specifically regarding remote work and digital roles.

Expanding on this position, Cruz noted that while the law has generated thousands of jobs, a significant portion of the workforce remains in precarious conditions. He estimated that out of 8.4 million employed Hondurans, approximately 4.8 million work in precarious conditions and half a million are under part-time arrangements. To address non-compliance, he called for increased inspections by the Labor Inspectorate to identify and fine employers who fail to meet registration requirements. He reiterated that current laws were designed for an industrial-era economy and must be updated to account for remote workers and call center employees.