Mexico 40-Hour Workweek Readiness Kit

Plan the move from a 48-hour week to 40 without cutting pay: size the coverage gap and the people to fill it, model the overtime cost, give employees the right notice and a schedule-change agreement in Spanish, and track the phase-in through 2030.

Seven pieces that take the transition from plan to record

A tracker that does the math, four templates you adapt and send, a free web calculator, and a one-page orientation. Built to be used together across the phase-in.

• Mexico 40-Hour Workweek Transition Tracker. Six tabs: an affected-roles inventory, a Coverage Gap Model that computes the gap hours per role and the full-time equivalents to cover it, an Overtime Cost Model that splits the projected overtime into the double-time and triple-time bands and returns the weekly and annual cost, a phase-in schedule seeded from 2027 to 2030, and a communication and compliance log. It opens on a worked example and works in Excel or Google Sheets.
• Transition Policy Template. An internal policy covering standard hours, the phase-in, rest days, overtime, coverage, timekeeping, schedule changes, exceptions, roles, and review. Word, editable.
• Employee Notice Template. A notice in English and full Spanish, carrying the guarantee that pay and benefits do not fall with the hours, with a reviewer flag. Word, editable.
• Schedule Change Agreement Template. A consent and acknowledgment in English and full Spanish, with a counsel-review flag in both languages. Word, editable.
• Manager Workweek FAQ and playbook. Coverage planning, the overtime and rest-day rules, eight questions and answers, and rules of thumb for managers. Word, editable.
• Free Mexico 40-Hour Workweek Readiness Calculator. Estimate the hours each employee loses, the full-time equivalents to cover the gap, and the annual cost of covering it with staff or overtime, in any browser.
• Start Here. What each piece does and the order to use them. Read it first.

The method in the order the transition runs

Scope first, model second, then notify and track. The pack plans and documents the move; Mexican employment counsel confirms the rule and reviews any change to working conditions.

• Confirm scope and the year’s target. Confirm the reform applies to your operations in Mexico and pick the phase-in target for the current year.
• Inventory and set the policy. Inventory each affected role in the tracker and adopt the transition policy, setting the standard hours, the rest days, and the overtime rules.
• Model the gap and the cost. Model the coverage gap and the overtime cost, then send the employee notice and the schedule-change agreement, with the Spanish versions reviewed by a Spanish-speaking HR or legal professional.
• Track and confirm. Track the phase-in steps and your communications, confirm the current Ley Federal del Trabajo rule before you act, and take any change to working conditions to counsel.

Who it is built for

Built for

• An HR or operations team at a company with employees in Mexico, in manufacturing, logistics, services, or a continuous operation, planning the move to 40 hours without cutting pay.
• A people team that needs the employee notice, the schedule-change consent, and a manager FAQ in Spanish as well as English.
• A finance or operations partner sizing the coverage gap, the full-time equivalents needed, and the overtime cost across the phase-in.

If you are looking for

• General staffing or overtime cost math without the Mexico transition specifics. The Shift Staffing Planner and the Overtime vs New Hire Planner handle the workforce math on their own.
• EU or US pay-transparency posting preparation, not the Mexico workweek. The Global Employer EU Readiness Bundle and the US State Pay Transparency Pack cover those.

Before you buy

What format are the files and what is in Spanish?

One Excel tracker, four editable Word templates, a Start Here PDF, and a web calculator. The employee notice and the schedule-change agreement carry full Spanish versions; the tracker works in Excel or Google Sheets; everything is editable and yours to keep.

Does the reform apply to us?

It applies to employers with workers in Mexico. The hours phase down from 1 January 2027, so the work is preparation for a change that arrives on a schedule. Confirm how it reaches your operations with Mexican counsel.

When do the hours change?

The reduction begins 1 January 2027 and steps down by two hours a year, reaching 40 hours by 2030. The tracker’s phase-in schedule is seeded across those years so you can plan each step.

Can we reduce pay along with the hours?

No. The reform holds that the reduction in weekly hours cannot reduce wages or benefits, and the employee notice template states that guarantee. The cost the pack models is the cost of covering the gap, not a saving from shorter hours.

How does the overtime model work?

The Overtime Cost Model splits projected weekly overtime into a double-time band and a triple-time band and returns the weekly and annual cost. The exact overtime treatment is set by law and is part of what is still being clarified, so confirm the current rule with counsel.

Will it stay current as the detail settles?

The reform is recent and the electronic-timekeeping rules from the labor ministry are still pending, so each file shows its review date and the Start Here tells you to confirm the current Ley Federal del Trabajo before you act.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.

What happens after I buy?

Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here page first; it tells you the order to work in. Questions or want a hand getting set up? Email support@truestephr.com.

How the download works

Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer: save it, extract it (right-click and Extract All on Windows, double-click on a Mac), and open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and the editable files work in Microsoft Word and Excel or their free equivalents, including LibreOffice and Google Docs and Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.

Scope

This kit is a set of working tools and editable templates for running an HR process in a clear, consistent, and defensible way. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for qualified counsel on your specific situation. The rules in this area vary by jurisdiction, they change, and applying a template to the wrong facts can create the exact exposure you are trying to avoid. Have your policies, your notices, and any individual decision reviewed against applicable law before you act on them.