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Recent years in Mexico have been marked by recurrent discussions in labor reform, including the increase of minimum wage and the fight against labor informality. Now, the maximum working hours in Mexico are set to change.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Mexico held the record for most hours of work in the world in 2023. However, the country has been debating substantial cuts to its maximum work week to 40 hours since 2022.
Reducing working hours in Mexico: from the standard 48 to 40
During Labor Day of 2025, the Mexican government announced it plans to gradually reduce the work week from 48 to 40 hours by January 2030.
This announcement was made during a ceremony celebrating the International Workers’ Day, where the Secretary of Labor emphasized the need for collaboration in different areas in implementing this proposal.
From June to July of this same year, the government will communicate with various sectors, including business owners, unions, and workers, to discuss and explain this reform.
Currently, the official work week in Mexico is of 48 hours spread over up to six business days, with at least one day of rest. However, many workers can exceed 56 hours a week without any penalties for employers. At this time, Mexico holds one of the highest averages for working hours in Latin America.
The proposed reduction from 2025 to 2030 aims to improve the quality of life for workers and bring Mexico closer to a growing trend of shorter work weeks in South America, invoving countries like Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Puerto Rico.
What the reduction means for global companies hiring in Mexico
When a country reduces its maximum work week hours, it can have several implications for global companies hiring workers in that region, particularly in terms of compliance, costs, productivity, and talent strategy.
First, employment contracts must be updated to reflect the new legal work week. Non-compliance can lead to fines or legal issues, especially for companies unaware of local labor laws.
Then, if the same output from employees is expected in fewer hours, companies may need to hire more staff. Alternatively, leaders can see increased productivity per hour if workers are more focused and motivated under shorter weeks.
Over all, this adaptation requires ongoing efforts. So, many global companies prefer to outsource such compliance processes, to stay constantly updated and avoid legal fines.
An employer of record in Mexico, for example, can be a crucial partner for global businesses when they need to adapt their work flow in accordance to new regulations by the Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT).
They work as third-party collaborators and remove the complexity of navigating local labor changes by ensuring your workforce is legally compliant, cost-efficient, and culturally aligned without needing to set up a local entity in Mexico.
