Mexico Alert: Reducción de la Jornada Laboral

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Score
5

Why it matters

On March 3, 2026, Mexico published a constitutional decree in the Diario Oficial de la Federación amending Article 123, Section A, to gradually reduce the maximum workweek from 48 to 40 hours by 2030 and increase allowable overtime to 12 hours per week (up to 4 hours/day, 4 days/week) with double pay.[1][3][4] The phased rollout begins in 2026 at 48 hours, then 46 (2027), 44 (2028), 42 (2029), and 40 (2030), without reducing wages or benefits; subsequent Federal Labor Law (FLL) amendments are expected within 90 days to detail implementation, including electronic shift registration.[3][4]

President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo enacted the decree, involving the Congress of the Union (which advanced related FLL proposals) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) for enforcement and inspections.[1][3][4][5] No specific companies are named, but it impacts all employers, particularly in sectors like technology, logistics, and digital platforms amid broader 2026 reforms.[2]

The reform fulfills a long-standing priority of Mexico's current administration, with proposals reintroduced in Congress as early as 2025 and advanced through 2026 alongside minimum wage hikes (13% effective Jan. 1, 2026) and workplace violence prevention rules (Jan. 15, 2026).[1][4][5] Timeline: Legislative progress in early 2026 led to constitutional approval and publication on March 3, with FLL changes pending by June 2026 and full effect by 2030.[1][3]

Newsworthy now (March 2026) due to the decree's fresh publication amid an "avalanche" of labor transformations—USMCA oversight, digital worker rules, intensified STPS inspections—forcing immediate employer compliance planning like audits, staffing models, and union negotiations in Mexico's pivotal reform year.[2][4][5]

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