After conducting six regional forum organized by the Department of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), the proposal for the reform to establish a 40-hour workweek in Mexico starts taking shape based on four fundamental pillars: gradualness, flexibility, sectorization and tax incentives.
This was reported by Óscar de la Vega Castillo, associate at the De la Vega y Martínez Rojas Law Firm, who praised the sessions for dialogue called by the Federal Government in key cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Querétaro, and Cancún. Proposals made by both workers and employers were gathered in these meetings, which has permitted constructing a more comprehensive view of the impact that this transformation will have.
“It is significant progress to have all voices heard. Dialogue between sectors is crucial for reaching agreements that benefit the workers but also allow companies to maintain productivity”, he pointed out.
A phased implementation is among the emerging measures being considered in the initiative. It will start in 2026, with a 46-hour workweek, decreasing every two years until a 40-hour workweek is reached in 2030. This strategy seeks to mitigate the economic and operational impact on companies while making progress in improving working conditions.
Additionally, it is planned to apply flexible scheduling schemes, such as the “time-for-time” model or monthly working hours, which would facilitate adaptation across different production sectors. Differentiated sectorization is also being considered, acknowledging that the reduction of the number of working hours cannot be applied uniformly, for example, in the manufacturing industry versus the service or corporate sectors.
Another important axis will be the inclusion of tax incentives for overtime, with the objective of compensating possible operational imbalances and benefiting workers that exceed the new limit on working hours.
The debate has also included reflections on how to maintain business productivity. De la Vega emphasized the importance of personnel training, which must be reinforced both by companies and by the government in order to ensure that efficiency is maintained. He also advocated for fostering a change of mentality in regard to the link between the number of hours worked and output, promoting work environments that value balance and motivation.
The STPS is at the stage of consolidating the proposals that were gathered. It is estimated that a preliminary document with the key progress will be presented by July 30, and that a legislative bill, that will be considered as prioritary by the Federal Government, will be formalized by September 1.
De la Vega called for closely monitoring the process, recalling that the reform must include true benefits for companies of all sizes and, particularly, for Mexican workers.
