Mexico City — The Mexican federal government has issued a decree mandating remote work for all federal employees in the capital on Tuesday, June 30, to coincide with the national team’s Round of 16 match in the FIFA World Cup.
President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated in the decree that the goal of the telework measure is to “contribute to urban mobility, road safety, continuity of administrative activities, and efficiency in the provision of public services.”
The flexibility measures apply only to workers in federal agencies with offices in Mexico City. Classes at preschool, primary, secondary, and normal schools in the capital will also be suspended that day.
This is the third decree Sheinbaum has issued for remote work and school suspensions on match days, most of which have involved games played by the Mexican national team in Mexico City and Guadalajara.
For the private sector, the president issued a non-binding invitation to adopt telework for non-essential administrative activities.
“In order to contribute to urban mobility and road safety, the private and social sectors with workplaces in Mexico City are urged to, on June 30, 2026, in all non-essential administrative activities, grant the necessary facilities to implement telework, remote work, or flexible work arrangements,” the decree published Friday in the Official Gazette of the Federation states.
The measure is not mandatory for private companies, nor does it constitute a paid day off for the match. Labor relations in Mexico are governed by the Federal Labor Law, which regulates telework but requires it to be regular, not sporadic. Companies allowing remote work on specific match days do not fall under the formal remote work framework and its associated obligations.
To declare the day a holiday would require a reform to the Federal Labor Law.
Some companies have voluntarily adopted telework during the World Cup. According to a KPMG survey, 18% of companies in Mexico are offering remote work so employees can follow the national team’s matches.
Exceptions to the Remote Work Order
Not all public servants will be able to work from home. The decree lists the following exceptions:
- Health services, medical care, health emergencies, civil protection, and disaster response.
- Public security, immigration, and customs controls.
- Tasks necessary for the operation, supervision, regulation, and provision of strategic services and critical infrastructure, such as public transportation and electricity supply.
- Activities directly related to organizing the FIFA World Cup.
- Functions essential for operating social programs, procedures, priority public services, and direct attention to the population.
- Other activities that, by their nature, require the physical presence of public servants to ensure continuity of public services.
In these cases, work will proceed as usual. The flexibility measures apply only to federal government employees working in offices in the capital.
