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Mexico Senate Readies 40-Hour Workweek Reform for Floor Debate

The draft sets a phased 2027–2030 cut with overtime limits and wage safeguards, prompting criticism that a six‑day schedule and slow rollout weaken the benefit.

Overview

  • Senate constitutional and legislative committees finalized a dictamen to amend Article 123 and signaled the proposal is days from plenary discussion.
  • The timetable keeps 48 hours in 2026, then reduces the cap to 46 hours in 2027, 44 in 2028, 42 in 2029 and 40 in 2030.
  • The plan forbids any reduction in wages or benefits, bans overtime for people under 18, caps overtime at 12 hours per week with up to four extra hours a day, and requires employers to keep electronic time records.
  • Approval would still need votes in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies and ratification by a majority of state legislatures, followed by a 90‑day period to harmonize secondary laws.
  • Opponents, including labor groups and Movimiento Ciudadano figures, criticize the gradual rollout and preservation of a six‑day schedule, while estimates suggest 13.4–15.9 million workers would be directly affected given Mexico’s large informal sector.