QCOSTARICA — December is the month of the “aguinaldo”, a thirteen-month bonus payment given to employees in Costa Rica.
The bonus payment, usually equal to the average of one month’s salary on earnings between December 1 of the previous year and November 30 of the current year, as part of their annual compensation.
It’s a mandatory perk in Costa Rica, paid no later than December 20, by State (Government and autonomous state agencies, ie ICE, AyA, etc) and private employers.
In the case of the Government and its institutions, though the date for 2024 has yet to be announced, it is typically paid within the first 10 days of the month.
Private employers may follow the government lead in early payments, while others pay before of shortly after the middle of the month. In any event, paying after December 20 can subject the employer to monetary fines and other sanctions.
This means there is a lot of money on the streets in December. To protect the citizenry, the Ministry of Public Security typically maintains an “aguinaldo operation”.
This year the operation begins on Sunday, December 1.
The Minister of Security, Mario Zamora, gave a message to the uniformed police officers where he emphasized that they will be working during the holidays instead of being with their families.