Mexico reduces working hours in major push for better labour conditions

Mexican lawmakers unanimously approved a worker-friendly labour reform that will see the gradual reduction of the workweek, notching a fresh victory for the ruling leftist coalition.

A reform supported by President Claudia Sheinbaum will gradually reduce Mexico’s workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours over the next four years, Mexican media outlets report.

The legal update will also introduce one mandatory fully paid day off per week as Mexican workers are currently not provided with guaranteed paid time off.

Opponents warned the measure could drive up labour costs and hurt productivity, while some lawmakers from the opposition argued it did not go far enough, calling instead for two days off each week.

The legislation approved on February 24 cleared the 500-member lower house with 469 votes in favor and none against, with no abstentions. Earlier this month, Mexico’s Senate also gave the proposal unanimous approval.

Sheinbaum first presented the initiative in December, but pressure from business groups postponed debate on the bill for several weeks.

According to the reform’s text, the shift toward a shorter workweek will begin in 2027, with working hours reduced by two hours per week each year.

Sheinbaum and her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have emphasized pro-labour policies, including curbing outsourcing practices and strengthening union protections.

Mexico has the second-largest economy in Latin America, with a gross domestic product of roughly $1.86 trillion, based on data from the World Bank. However, critics say the country has the poorest work-life balance among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

Despite these extended hours, Mexico records the lowest labour productivity and wages among the OECD’s 38 member countries. About 55% of the workforce is also employed in the informal sector, leaving many without formal legal protections.

With the new reform, Mexico joins Chile and Colombia — both led by left-leaning governments — in reducing weekly working hours in recent years.

In Chile, the 40-hour workweek was championed by outgoing President Gabriel Boric and represented a significant achievement for his administration, which earlier struggled to pass a proposed constitutional overhaul aimed at strengthening worker rights. Approved in 2023, Chile’s reform gradually trims the workweek from 45 to 40 hours, with full implementation planned for 2028.

Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro also secured a phased reduction of the workweek, cutting it from 48 to 42 hours without reducing pay or benefits. Colombians are set to vote in the first round of a presidential election in May, and Petro’s term concludes in August.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking approval for a similar plan to shorten working hours ahead of an anticipated reelection campaign in October. Supporters say the proposal would enhance the quality of life and create more jobs, while business groups caution that it could weaken corporate competitiveness.

By Nazrin Sadigova