Mexico Phases In 40-Hour Workweek, Reaching It by 2030
Mexico · Labor
Key Facts
—Constitutional change: The reduction was published in the official gazette on March 3, amending Article 123 of the constitution.
—Gradual path: Hours fall step by step, from 48 in 2026 to 46, 44, 42 and finally 40 by January 2030.
—No pay cuts: Lawmakers wrote in a guarantee that the shorter week will not reduce workers’ wages.
—Right to disconnect: A separate reform lets workers ignore messages, calls and email after hours, with employer rules required.
—Latin American impact: Mexico joins Chile and Ecuador in moving toward a 40-hour legal week across the region.
Mexico has set a path to a 40-hour workweek, with the legal limit falling in yearly steps from 48 hours now to 40 by 2030, a change paired with a new right for workers to disconnect after their shift ends.
How will the 40-hour workweek be phased in?
The reform reaches its target gradually rather than at once. Under the transitional schedule approved in Congress, the legal weekly limit stands at 48 hours in 2026 and then falls to 46 in 2027, 44 in 2028, 42 in 2029 and 40 from January 1, 2030.
The constitutional groundwork is already in place, with President Claudia Sheinbaum publishing the amendment to Article 123 in the official gazette on March 3. Lawmakers built in an explicit promise that the shorter week will not come with cuts to workers’ pay, addressing the central worry raised during a long and contested debate.
What does the right to disconnect add?
Alongside the hours reduction, Congress approved a separate change to the Federal Labor Law creating a right to digital disconnection. It lets employees decline work communications, including email, calls and messaging apps, once their shift is over and during vacations, permits and leave.
The measure turns what many firms treated as good practice into a legal obligation, requiring employers to issue internal policies that protect the right and bar reprisals against staff who do not respond off-hours. Mexico has among the longest working hours in the OECD, averaging roughly 2,100 hours a year, which supporters cite as the reason for both reforms.
What must employers do to comply?
Companies face new tracking and penalty rules as the schedule takes hold. The legislation requires an electronic record of each worker’s hours, to be overseen by the Labor and Social Welfare Ministry, and sets fines ranging from 250 to 5,000 measurement units, about 29,327 to 586,550 pesos ($1,560 to $31,200), for noncompliance. Legal specialists have urged firms to revise contracts, regulations and internal policies before the changes bite, warning that adaptation will be technical, operational and financial.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 40-hour workweek take full effect?
The full 40-hour limit applies from January 1, 2030. Until then, the cap steps down by two hours most years, starting at 48 hours in 2026.
Will workers earn less under the shorter week?
No. The reform includes a legal guarantee that reducing weekly hours will not lower wages. That protection was a core demand during the legislative debate.
What is the right to disconnect?
It is the legal right to ignore work-related communications after a shift ends, and during vacations and leave. Employers must respect it and publish internal rules to ensure compliance.
What penalties apply for noncompliance?
Fines run from 250 to 5,000 measurement units, roughly 29,327 to 586,550 pesos ($1,560 to $31,200). Employers must also keep an electronic record of each worker’s hours.
How does Mexico compare in the region?
Mexico joins Chile and Ecuador in moving toward a 40-hour legal week. It currently has some of the longest average working hours in the OECD, near 2,100 hours a year.
Connected Coverage
The labor overhaul lands as Mexico manages a strong currency and shifting trade ties, traced in our coverage of the strong peso, and a packed events calendar examined in our reporting on World Cup housing pressures.
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