The Upcoming 40-Hour Workweek Reform in Mexico
The reform of the workweek, set to reduce the standard 48-hour workweek to 40 hours, is approaching its deadline. By January 2030, Mexican employees are expected to work 40 hours per week. This change has sparked reactions from both workers demanding immediate implementation and businesses hoping for a gradual transition.
Who is Marath Bolaños?
Marath Bolaños, the Secretary of Labor and Social Prevision (STPS), announced the commencement of dialogue forums in June to construct a project that will gradually reduce the workweek over the next five years. This announcement has given businesses certainty, especially regarding the labor changes.
Expert Insights: Luis Peña from EY México
Luis Peña, a partner in the People Advisory Services area at EY México, believes that the reduction of work hours is long overdue. He advises companies to start by evaluating their current situation, as many are not yet operating at the 48-hour level.
- Step 1: Conduct a thorough assessment of the company’s current status.
- Step 2: Engage relevant stakeholders, including labor relations experts, talent management, operations, and finance teams.
- Step 3: Analyze which aspects can be modified and which should remain unchanged.
- Step 4: Begin piloting changes ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Melhina Magaña on the Importance of Reducing Work Hours
Melhina Magaña, founder of Daucon and an expert in high performance and behavioral change, emphasizes that reducing work hours is crucial for addressing “time poverty” among Mexicans.
- Impact of Time Poverty: High turnover rates, sedentary lifestyles, exhaustion, and burnout are consequences of time poverty.
- Organizational Culture: Focus on productivity and knowledge transfer from veteran employees to enrich the team’s skillset and foster collaboration.
- Communication: Improve communication within the organization to overcome barriers caused by ineffective communication.
- Process Improvement: Embrace that there will be errors and learning opportunities during the transformation process.
- Adaptive Scaling: Tailor the implementation to each company’s sector, size, maturity, and context.
- Ecosystem Productivity Strategy: Align technology, risk anticipation, and streamlining processes to make organizations more agile.
