Implementación del contrato de trabajo por horas: ¿Evolución o retroceso de derechos?

Abstract

This study examines the viability of hourly employment contracts within Ecuador’s legal framework, considering the legal, economic, and social context. While business sectors and the government promote this modality as a solution to unemployment and informality during the national crisis, labor unions and experts argue that it could undermine constitutional labor rights established in Articles 33 and 32. Using a mixed, non-experimental methodology with surveys of 106 economically active individuals in Guayaquil and interviews with three labor law professionals, the research found that hourly contracts are generally viewed as unviable. They are seen as threatening key labor principles such as fair wages, job stability, and social security, potentially leading to job insecurity. However, some consider them acceptable if applied periodically and with full respect for fundamental labor rights.