Mexico passes 40-hour workweek in legislative win for Sheinbaum

Gonzalo Soto and Alex Vasquez, Bloomberg News on Feb 25, 2026

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Mexican lawmakers unanimously approved a worker-friendly labor reform that will gradually reduce the workweek, notching a fresh victory for the ruling leftist coalition.

The reform backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum will shorten the workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours over the next four years while also providing for one mandatory fully paid day off per week. Critics argued that the changes would cause labor costs to spike while undercutting productivity, though some opposition lawmakers sought to go further by advocating for two days off each week.

Currently, Mexican workers are not provided with guaranteed paid time-off.

The labor reform passed with 469 votes in favor and zero opposed — with no abstentions — in the 500-member lower house. Earlier this month, Mexico’s Senate approved the bill unanimously.

Sheinbaum unveiled the proposal in December, but lobbying from business leaders delayed its discussion for weeks. The president has argued that more than 13 million Mexican workers will benefit from it.

The text of the reform specifies that the transition to a shorter workweek will kick off in 2027 with an annual reduction of two hours per week.

Sheinbaum and her like-minded predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have made pro-worker policies a priority, previously limiting the use of outsourcing in hiring while also pushing stronger union rights.

With passage of the latest reform, Mexico joins Chile and Colombia as Latin American nations — all led by leftists — to reduce weekly working hours in the last few years.

In Chile, the 40-hour workweek was supported by outgoing President Gabriel Boric and marked a major victory for an administration that early on failed to secure passage of a constitutional rewrite that also sought to buck up worker rights. Approved in 2023, the Chilean labor reform gradually lowers the workweek from 45 hours to 40 hours, with full implementation set for 2028.

Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro also pushed through a gradual workweek reduction, but from 48 hours to 42 hours, without cutting salaries or benefits. Voters in Colombia will head to the polls for a first round presidential election in May, while Petro’s term expires in August.

Meanwhile in Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva aims to pass a similar proposal to reduce working hours ahead of his expected reelection bid in October. Supporters argue that the move would improve quality of life while increasing the availability of jobs, while industry groups fear a hit to company competitiveness. The latest Nexus survey found that more than 60% of Brazilians broadly support reducing working hours.

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—With assistance from Antonia Mufarech, Daniela Milanese and Jon Herskovitz.