Mexico City, Mexico — President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced a reform project for the gradual implementation of the 40-hour work week. The reform will reduce the working day by two hours per year so that 40 hours are achieved by 2030.
President Sheinbaum says the transition period would begin during 2026 and the first reduction would begin in January 2027. An electronic record of working hours will be created, which will allow for compliance with ordinary and overtime working hours.
The reform bill will be sent to the Senate of the Republic next week with a view to its discussion next year. She says the reduced work week across Mexico to 40 hours will 13.4 million workers.
“The benefit has been demonstrated throughout the world. I recently read an article from one of the Nordic countries that even reducing the workweek to 36 hours has resulted in greater productivity for companies, including in the service, hospitality, and other sectors.
“That’s why the decision was made to implement the 40 hour work week gradually so it doesn’t imply higher costs for the business sector. In some cases, it even leads to greater productivity and it’s a consensus agreement,” she said during a morning press conference.
The Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, Marath Baruch Bolaños López, explained that as commitment number 60 of the President’s 100 list, the implementation of the 40-hour work week will be a constitutional right of workers.
He explained that the reform will be presented to the Congress of the Union for discussion and approval and will come into effect on May 1, 2026 with the first two-hour reduction beginning in January 2027.
He explained that the proposal implies that the reduction will take effect on January 1st of each year. In 2026 it comes into force and the transition period is established, then in 2027, it will be 46 hours. In 2028, 44 hours, in 2029, 42 and in 2030, a 40 hour work week.
He pointed out that the reduction in working hours does not imply a decrease in salaries or benefits and that with these modifications, for the first time, overtime for minors is prohibited.
During the regular workday, workers will have more rest time and a fair distribution of working time as well as guaranteed decent working hours. Overtime work is permitted on a voluntary basis allowing for nine to 12 hours of overtime per week.
He says those hours can be distributed up to four hours per day over a maximum of four days during that period. Overtime work for minors is prohibited and the Federal Labor Law establishes a maximum limit of four triple-shift hours. In both work schedules, no single day may exceed 12 hours of work.
He noted that, in order to monitor compliance with the new 40-hour work week in workplaces, the electronic registration of the work day is added as an obligation for employers which will be issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. This will allow that ordinary and overtime working hours be effectively fulfilled.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the benefits of reducing working hours include a reduction of fatigue and work accidents, improvement in occupational health and safety, greater balance between the personal, family and work life of workers and lower risk of suffering from heart disease.
A decrease in deaths from accidents due to less exposure to long working hours, improvement in self-care -nutrition, physical exercise, rest, socialization – and preventive medical care, have also been noted.
