Countries › Mexico › Guide › 7. Labor and employment › Working hours in Mexico: the phased move from 48 to 40 hours a week, overtime at double and triple pay, rest days, Sunday premium and electronic time records

Working hours in Mexico: the phased move from 48 to 40 hours a week, overtime at double and triple pay, rest days, Sunday premium and electronic time records

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Changing

A May 2026 reform cuts the maximum ordinary week from 48 hours to 40 by 2030, two hours each 1 January from 2027, with no cut in pay; the daily maximums stay at 8 hours by day, 7 at night and 7.5 for mixed shifts. Overtime is paid at double, the weekly cap rises from 9 hours in 2026 and 2027 to 12 in 2030 (up to 4 hours a day on up to 4 days), hours beyond the cap are paid at triple, and ordinary plus overtime may never exceed 12 hours a day. Workers get one paid rest day for every six worked, a 25 percent Sunday premium, double pay on top for working rest days and nine statutory holidays, and employers must keep electronic records of each worker's start and end times, with general rules due to apply from 1 January 2027.

USD conversions use MXN 18.5026 per US dollar, the US Federal Reserve H.10 noon buying rate in New York for 16 October 2026 (FRED series DEXMXUS), the latest observation available when this page was verified. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Maximum ordinary working week, 2026	48 hoursLFT art. 59; decree DOF 1 May 2026, transitional art. Segundo, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum ordinary working week from 1 January 2027	46 hoursDecree DOF 1 May 2026, transitional art. Segundo, as of 2026-10-26 · pending
Maximum ordinary working week from 1 January 2030	40 hoursLFT art. 59; decree DOF 1 May 2026, as of 2026-10-26 · pending
Maximum ordinary day shift	8 hoursLFT art. 61, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Overtime premium within the weekly cap	100 % above ordinary hourly payLFT art. 66, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Premium for overtime beyond the weekly cap	200 % above ordinary hourly payLFT art. 68, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Weekly overtime cap, 2026	9 hoursDecree DOF 1 May 2026, transitional art. Cuarto, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum ordinary plus overtime hours in a day	12 hoursLFT art. 68, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Sunday premium	25 % of daily wageLFT art. 71, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Fixed statutory holidays (excluding the six yearly 1 October and election days)	7 daysLFT art. 74, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. The maximum ordinary working week is 40 hours, reached gradually from 1 January of each year: 48 hours in 2026, 46 in 2027, 44 in 2028, 42 in 2029 and 40 in 2030. The period from 1 May to 31 December 2026 is for workers and employers to adjust work processes. The reduction may in no case cut wages, salaries or benefits. The working day is the time during which the worker is at the employer's disposal, and its distribution may be agreed between the parties.
Cost to do it: Employers paying by the day or month keep the same pay for fewer hours: the effective hourly cost of a full time worker rises by 20 percent between 2026 and 2030 (48 to 40 hours).Decree amending the LFT on the reduction of the working day, DOF 1 May 2026, in force 1 May 2026; Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), LFT arts. 58 and 59; decree transitional arts. Primero, Segundo, Tercero and Séptimo, 2026-05-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Decree of DOF 1 May 2026 replaced the 48 hour weekly maximum with a 40 hour weekly maximum phased in from 2027 to 2030, without pay cuts.

2. Daily limits and shifts. The day shift runs between 6:00 and 20:00, the night shift between 20:00 and 6:00, and a mixed shift is one with less than three and a half night hours (otherwise it counts as a night shift). Maximum ordinary daily hours are 8 for a day shift, 7 for a night shift and 7.5 for a mixed shift. A continuous working day includes a break of at least half an hour, and if the worker cannot leave the workplace during breaks or meals that time counts as working time.Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), Arts. 60, 61, 63 and 64, 2026-05-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Overtime. The working day may be extended for extraordinary circumstances, paid at 100 percent above the ordinary hourly pay (double time). Weekly overtime may not exceed 12 hours, spread over at most 4 hours a day on at most 4 days; this cap is phased in from 1 January of each year at 9 hours in 2026 and 2027, 10 in 2028, 11 in 2029 and 12 in 2030. Overtime beyond the cap may not exceed 4 hours a week and is paid at 200 percent above ordinary pay (triple time). Ordinary plus overtime hours may never exceed 12 hours in a day. Hours worked to deal with an accident or imminent danger are paid at the ordinary rate.
Cost to do it: Double the ordinary hourly rate within the weekly cap, triple beyond it.
Example: A day shift worker earning MXN 600 a day (MXN 75.00 an hour on an 8 hour day) works 12 overtime hours in one week of 2026: 9 hours at double (MXN 1,350.00) plus 3 hours at triple (MXN 675.00), MXN 2,025.00 on top of the weekly salary. / About USD 109 at 18.5026.Decree amending the LFT on the reduction of the working day, DOF 1 May 2026, in force 1 May 2026; Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), LFT arts. 65, 66, 67 and 68; decree transitional art. Cuarto, 2026-05-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Decree of DOF 1 May 2026 reworded art. 66 into a weekly overtime cap rising from 9 hours in 2026 to 12 hours in 2030, spread over at most 4 hours a day on 4 days, and set the 12 hour daily ceiling in art. 68.

4. Rest days and Sunday premium. For every six days of work the worker is entitled to at least one rest day on full pay, preferably Sunday; in continuous operations the parties agree the rest days. Workers who work on Sunday get an additional premium of at least 25 percent of the ordinary daily wage. Workers are not obliged to work on their rest days; if they do, the employer pays double the salary for the work on top of the rest day pay.Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), Arts. 69, 70, 71 and 73, 2026-05-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Statutory holidays. The mandatory rest days are 1 January, the first Monday of February (for 5 February), the third Monday of March (for 21 March), 1 May, 16 September, the third Monday of November (for 20 November), 1 October every six years when the federal executive changes, 25 December, and election days set by federal and local electoral laws. Employers and workers agree who must work on these days; those who work receive double salary on top of the holiday pay.Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), Arts. 74 and 75, 2024-09-30 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Electronic time records. Employers must record electronically each worker's working day, including start and finish times, and provide the record to the authority on request. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) issues general rules on scope and exceptions, which take effect from 1 January 2027. The electronic record is full evidence if it is shown to have been agreed between worker and employer. Breaching the obligation carries a fine of 250 to 5,000 UMA.
Cost to do it: Fine of 250 to 5,000 UMA, MXN 29,327.50 to MXN 586,550.00 at the 2026 UMA of MXN 117.31 (LFT art. 994, section IV Bis); per LFT art. 992 a separate fine applies for each affected worker.
Example: MXN 29,327.50 to MXN 586,550.00 per infringement. / About USD 1,585 to USD 31,701.Decree amending the LFT on the reduction of the working day, DOF 1 May 2026, in force 1 May 2026; Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), LFT arts. 132, section XXXIV, and 994, section IV Bis; decree transitional art. Quinto, 2026-05-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Added by decree of DOF 1 May 2026; the STPS general rules take effect from 1 January 2027.

7. Fines for hours and rest. An employer that breaches the rules on maximum daily hours, weekly rest or vacations is fined 50 to 250 UMA; fines are calculated in UMA at the date of the violation, imposed for each affected worker, and doubled for repeat offenses within two years.
Cost to do it: MXN 5,865.50 to MXN 29,327.50 per affected worker at the 2026 UMA.
Example: Ten workers kept beyond the daily maximum: up to MXN 293,275.00. / About USD 15,850.Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT), DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026), Arts. 992 and 994, section I, 2019-05-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Year	Maximum ordinary week (hours)	Weekly overtime cap at double pay (hours)	Extra hours at triple pay (maximum a week)
2026	48	9	4
2027	46	9	4
2028	44	10	4
2029	42	11	4
2030	40	12	4

Phase in from 1 January of each year (decree DOF 1 May 2026, transitional arts. Segundo and Cuarto).

Worked example

A plant in Querétaro runs a day shift of 8 hours over six days (48 hours) in 2026 and pays MXN 600 a day.
From 1 January 2027 the ordinary week falls to 46 hours; the plant may, for example, keep six days with two shorter days, or add a shift, but may not cut the MXN 600 daily pay (decree transitional art. Séptimo).
Any hours above 46 in 2027 are overtime: up to 9 at double (MXN 150.00 an hour) and up to 4 more at triple (MXN 225.00 an hour), never more than 12 hours of work in a day.
From 1 January 2027 the plant must also have an electronic record of each worker's start and end times, following the STPS general rules.

Step by step

1. Map current schedules by shift type (day, night, mixed) and count weekly ordinary hours per worker.
2. Plan the 2027 to 2030 reductions now: rosters, extra shifts or overtime budgets, keeping daily and monthly pay unchanged.
3. Set up an electronic time record agreed in writing with workers, so that it counts as full evidence, and adapt it to the STPS general rules applicable from 1 January 2027.
4. Pay overtime at double within the weekly cap and triple beyond it, and block schedules above 12 hours a day.
5. Publish the year's statutory holidays and agree in advance who will work them at double pay.

Common traps

Cutting pay with hours. The reduction to 40 hours may not reduce wages, salaries or benefits (decree transitional art. Séptimo).
Planning overtime by the day only. Since 1 May 2026 the cap is weekly (9 hours in 2026 and 2027), spread over at most 4 days, with a 12 hour daily ceiling (LFT arts. 66 and 68).
Unrecorded hours in a dispute. In a labor claim the employer must prove ordinary hours and overtime of up to nine hours a week (LFT art. 784, section VIII); an electronic record agreed with the worker is full evidence (LFT art. 132, section XXXIV).
Holiday Mondays. Three holidays move to Mondays (February, March and November); the dates change every year.
Fines multiply. Labor fines apply per affected worker and double for repeat offenses (LFT art. 992).

Sources

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