Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum published a landmark constitutional decree Tuesday officially reducing the standard workweek from 48 to 40 hours, with gradual implementation scheduled through 2030.

The decree, published in the evening edition of the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), amends Article 123 of Mexico’s Constitution and takes immediate effect upon publication, according to the official text.

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Following the decree’s publication, the Mexican Congress now has 90 days to enact corresponding reforms to secondary legislation. The reform achieved constitutional status earlier Tuesday when the Chamber of Deputies declared its validity after securing approval from a majority of state congresses.

Chamber President Kenia Lopez announced during a plenary session that the measure, previously endorsed by both senators and deputies, had received sufficient state-level backing before being forwarded to the upper house for final procedural steps. Twenty-two state legislatures voted in favor of the labor reform.

Beginning in 2027, any extraordinary circumstances requiring extended hours will mandate compensation at 100% above ordinary hourly wages. The reform limits overtime to 12 hours weekly, distributed across no more than four hours daily for a maximum of four days per week. Employers exceeding these limits must pay 200% above standard wages for additional overtime hours.

The reform explicitly prohibits minors under 18 from working overtime, among other worker protections.

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