Countries › Peru › Guide › 7. Labor and employment › Labor inspections, fines and claims in Peru: SUNAFIL, fines of up to 300 UIT, the four year limitation period and the 30 day dismissal deadline

Labor inspections, fines and claims in Peru: SUNAFIL, fines of up to 300 UIT, the four year limitation period and the 30 day dismissal deadline

Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable

SUNAFIL, the national labor inspection authority, enforces labor, safety and social security rules, including telework and outsourcing, and classifies breaches as minor, serious or very serious. All infractions found in one inspection are punished with a single fine, and the total cannot exceed 300 UIT, S/ 1,650,000 in 2026; fines are graduated by severity and number of workers affected. Workers have four years after the relationship ends to claim unpaid amounts, but only 30 calendar days to challenge a dismissal or hostility.

USD figures use S/ 3.452 per US dollar, the banking system selling rate published by the Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP for 27 October 2026, from the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú statistics series PD04640PD. UIT based amounts use the 2026 UIT of S/ 5,500 (Decreto Supremo Nº 301-2025-EF, as cited by SUNAT Resolución de Superintendencia Nº 000016-2026). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Maximum fine for all infractions found in one inspection	300 UITLey 28806 art. 39 as cited by SUNAFIL (2026), as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Maximum fine for all infractions found in one inspection (2026 UIT)	1650000 PENLey 28806 art. 39; DS 301-2025-EF UIT, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Limitation period for labor claims after the relationship ends	4 yearsLey 27321, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Deadline to sue for void or arbitrary dismissal or hostility	30 calendar daysTUO DL 728 (DS 003-97-TR) art. 36, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Labor inspection authority	SUNAFIL agencyLey 29981; Ley 28806, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. Administrative infractions in labor relations, safety and health at work and social security are breaches of the obligations in the relevant laws and collective agreements by action or omission. Failing to register workers in the health insurance and pension systems is a social security infraction.Ley Nº 28806, Ley General de Inspección del Trabajo, Art. 31 and 39, 2006-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Sanctions are graduated according to the seriousness of the infraction and the number of workers affected, and the regulation sets the table of infractions and fines. All infractions detected in an inspection and the following sanctioning procedure are punished with a single fine in a single administrative act, and the maximum fine for all infractions detected cannot exceed 300 UIT in force in the year the breach was found.
Cost to do it: Up to 300 UIT per inspection, S/ 1,650,000.00 in 2026 (about US$477,983.78).
Example: The ceiling for all infractions found in one inspection in 2026 is 300 x S/ 5,500 = S/ 1,650,000.00. / About US$477,983.78.Ley Nº 28806 and its regulation, Decreto Supremo Nº 019-2006-TR, as applied by SUNAFIL, LGIT art. 38 and 39; Regulation art. 22 and 54 (quoted in Resolución Jefatural Nº 000022-2026-SUNAFIL/GG/OAD/UCEC of 26 January 2026), 2026-01-26 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. SUNAFIL inspects and enforces the telework law in private companies, and telework infractions are graded minor, serious and very serious under the inspection law's sanctions regime; not respecting digital disconnection is very serious.Ley Nº 31572, Ley del Teletrabajo, Art. 26 to 28, 2022-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Claims for rights arising from the employment relationship prescribe four years after the day following the end of the relationship.Ley Nº 27321, Single article, 2000-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Claims for void dismissal, arbitrary dismissal and hostility lapse 30 calendar days after the event; the term cannot be interrupted or extended by agreement, except while the worker is outside Peru and unable to return or the courts are not working. The lapse does not affect the worker's right to claim other sums owed within the limitation period.Texto Único Ordenado del Decreto Legislativo Nº 728 (Decreto Supremo Nº 003-97-TR), Art. 36, 1997-03-27 official text · verified 2026-10-28

6. If an employer fails to file its claim for damages within 30 calendar days of dismissing a worker for serious misconduct that caused economic loss, its right to retain the worker's CTS lapses and it must indemnify the days the worker could not withdraw it.Texto Único Ordenado del Decreto Legislativo Nº 650 (Decreto Supremo Nº 001-97-TR), Art. 51 and 52, 1997-03-01 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Worked example

SUNAFIL inspects a Lima restaurant group after a complaint and finds unpaid overtime, late CTS deposits and two workers not registered in EsSalud (Ley 28806 art. 31).
It issues a single fine for all infractions in one act, graduated by severity and the number of workers affected (Ley 28806 art. 38 and 39).
Whatever the number of breaches, the total cannot exceed 300 UIT, S/ 1,650,000.00 (about US$477,983.78) in 2026 (art. 39).
A cook dismissed in the same month has 30 calendar days to challenge the dismissal, and four years to claim unpaid overtime (DS 003-97-TR art. 36; Ley 27321).

Step by step

Keep payroll, attendance, overtime, CTS and contribution records ready for inspection.
Register every worker in EsSalud and a pension system from the start; omission is an infraction in itself (Ley 28806 art. 39).
When an inspection order arrives, correct breaches quickly and document the correction.
Track the 30 day window after any dismissal and the four year limitation period for pay claims (DS 003-97-TR art. 36; Ley 27321).
If dismissing for misconduct that caused loss, file the damages claim within 30 days to keep the CTS retained (DS 001-97-TR art. 51).

Common traps

Fines are set per inspection and grow with the number of affected workers, so systemic payroll errors are costly (Ley 28806 art. 38).
Lack of registration in EsSalud or a pension system is an infraction even if wages are paid (art. 39).
The 300 UIT cap is high: S/ 1,650,000 in 2026.
Settlement agreements do not stop the four year limitation clock for unpaid items not covered (Ley 27321).

Sources

← Workplace health and safety in Peru: Ley 29783, committees from 20 workers, four trainings a year and liability for contractorsThe micro and small enterprise labor regime in Peru: REMYPE registration, 15 days of vacation and reduced CTS and bonuses →

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