Mexican Senate Approves Gradual Reduction of Workweek to 40 Hours

Mexico City — Mexico’s Senate approved reforms on Tuesday to gradually reduce the standard workweek from 48 to 40 hours, a change that will be phased in through 2030.

The full Senate passed the measure with 103 votes in favor and 15 against, with opposition coming from legislators of the PRI and Movimiento Ciudadano parties. The majority coalition hailed the initiative as a new era for labor policy, while critics raised concerns about economic and operational impacts.

The reform establishes a staggered schedule for reducing working hours, aiming to allow gradual adjustments in the productive sector and avoid abrupt disruptions for businesses and employers.

Proponents from the ruling coalition framed the approval as progress toward better working conditions and a better work-life balance. Opposition voices warned of potential risks to competitiveness and job creation.

With this decision, Congress advances one of the most significant changes to the labor model in decades, whose implementation and effects on productivity, wages, and worker welfare will be closely watched.