Reynosa maquila industry braces for Mexico’s 40-hour workweek shift

Mexico is moving to gradually reduce the standard workweek from 48 hours to 40 by 2030, a constitutional change that could reshape operations for maquiladoras in Reynosa and other northern border manufacturing hubs.

On Wednesday, the Cámara de Diputados, Mexico’s lower house of Congress, approved the reform to Article 123 of its Constitution by a qualified majority and sent it to state legislatures for ratification. 

The measure, proposed by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, would phase in shorter workweeks beginning in 2027 with a guarantee that wages and benefits cannot be reduced.

For Reynosa’s export-driven plants — many of which run multiple shifts tied to U.S. supply chains — the change signals a structural adjustment that could affect staffing, production schedules, and labor costs.

A phased reduction

Under the approved transition schedule, the standard workweek would remain at 48 hours in 2026, then gradually decrease to 46 hours in 2027, 44 hours in 2028, 42 hours in 2029, and ultimately reach 40 hours by 2030.

Overtime must also be paid at double the regular rate and may not exceed 12 hours per week. Any time beyond that must be paid at triple the regular rate. Workers under 18 may not work overtime.

“For every six days worked, employees must receive at least one paid day of rest,” the ruling approved by lawmakers said. 

The federal government has said the reform aligns with recommendations from the International Labour Organization and with labor standards in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a group of 38 mostly high-income economies, including the United States, Canada, and Germany, where employees generally work fewer weekly hours. 

Officials argue that shorter workweeks are linked to improvements in worker health, safety, and overall productivity.

Legal specialists weigh in

In Reynosa, legal and labor specialists are evaluating what the reform will mean in practice.

“We know that on Dec. 3 an initiative was introduced to reform the Constitution and the federal labor law, and although it is still in initiative status, we will likely see it become law in the early months of this year,” said Roberto Carlos Rodríguez Romero, a public notary in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

Rodríguez Romero said the reform would standardize work schedules.

“That means it will be a single work schedule for everyone, which facilitates human resource operations,” he said.

Rodríguez Romero said the reform also clarifies limits on overtime.

“This prevents workers from being overexposed to their duties and guarantees fair treatment,” he said. “We all have the right to rest in order to perform adequately.”

Companies are already preparing.

“We have to prepare, and for that purpose periodic meetings are being held with organizations such as the Asociación de Maquiladoras de Reynosa (INDEX) to exchange views and get ahead, as much as possible, of the changes that will inevitably come,” Rodríguez Romero said.

Inside the maquiladoras

Manufacturing leaders in Reynosa describe the reform as a cultural and operational shift.

“We are being trained to understand the depth of the issue regarding the reduction of the workweek,” said José Luis Vázquez, a human resources employee at BBP Reynosa, a company that manufactures bowling balls.

BBP Reynosa employs between 500 and 600 people

Vázquez said one of the biggest challenges will be helping workers understand how the shorter workweek will affect their routines and responsibilities.

“If that is not understood, the worker will continue to be fatigued outside the plant and will neglect the most basic goal of the regulation, which is to spend more time with family, rest, and recover,” he said.

Vázquez said companies are still studying the reform and waiting for it to be finalized before making major changes.

“We are not prepared to fully understand the regulation at the outset. It seems easy to say, ‘I won’t work two hours,’ but it implies, ‘How will I structure my life? How will I make a different plan? And how will I integrate more into society and family?’” he said.

He also pointed to ongoing uncertainty.

“There are no clear rules on many issues,” Vázquez said. “We have to stay alert, informed, and prepared to act, even when there are things we cannot change.”

Rosario Cruz, a nurse in the medical department at Dulces Famosos, a company that employs about 600 people — said the reform needs a closer look. 

“The reduction in hours is interesting, but I was unaware of the overtime component,” she said. “One tends to focus only on the workweek reduction and not the rest. It is an issue with significant challenges.”

Structural shift for a border economy

As the reform advances through state ratification, Reynosa’s maquiladoras are assessing what a shorter workweek will mean for productivity, staffing models, and cost structures in one of Mexico’s most dynamic industrial regions.

If fully implemented by 2030, the 40-hour workweek would represent one of the most significant changes to Mexico’s labor framework in decades — with direct implications for border manufacturing tied to U.S. trade.