SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently announced it was time to implement a nationwide 40-hour work week for employees instead of the 48 hours most people in Mexico now work.
She said she wants this done by 2030.
In the last few days, 15 factories in Tijuana have reduced their employees work-schedules to act in accordance with Sheinbaum’s directive, according to Diana Reyes Herrera, president of the Industrial Human Resources Association in Tijuana.
“The last time we did a survey, five percent of companies in our association said they had plans to implement the shorter work week, but this is still considered a pilot program,” she said. “We’re still waiting for official legislation to be approved, everyone is waiting to see how this mandate will be written up.”
The Sheinbaum administration has said the president would like to see a gradual reduction in hours that people have to work every week.
“What we’ve been told is that by 2026, companies will have to shorten the work week by two hours, and two more every year thereafter, until we get to 2030.
Reducing the work week by two hours every year, will give companies time to adjust and plan for staffing needs.
The idea to go from 48 to 40 work hours per week was first introduced during the previous administration in April 2023.
“Nothing has been approved by Congress yet, but the announcement by the federal government is a good thing so it doesn’t happen all of a sudden and people can plan strategy,” Reyes Herrera said.
