Recently, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile approved several laws to limit the workday after more than six years of discussion. The reduction of the ordinary workday will go from 45 to 44 hours in the first year of publication of the law, to 42 hours in the third year, and to 40 hours in the fifth year.
In Mexico, the Federal Labor Law establishes that the maximum workday is 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week and that workers who work six days a week are entitled to a weekly rest day, preferably on Sunday. However, according to data from the National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE), 10.4 workers in Mexico work beyond the legal limit, with 14.9% working from 49 to 56 hours and 13.3% working more than 56 hours.
Currently, there are at least 10 different initiatives in both legislative chambers seek to reduce and modify the distribution of the workday. The most popular ones contemplate a reduction to a 40-hour workweek and the implementation of two weekly rest days for every five days worked.
If any of these initiatives are approved, several negative aspects are expected for the labor sector, such as the reorganization of workers’ shifts, the calculation of corresponding payments for vacation bonuses and overtime hours for each worker, and the need to hire more personnel to maintain the organization’s operability at adequate levels.
On the other hand, improvements are expected in aspects such as the balance between work and personal life, productivity, reduced absenteeism and decreased work-related illnesses.
The impact of the reduction of the workday will vary from company to company, and companies that rely heavily on manual labor will have a more significant impact. The Senate of the Republic will hold several open forums starting on April 20, in which the labor, employer, and governmental sectors will participate to define a single proposal and evaluate its viability.
The Labor Law team of Vega, Guerrero & Asociados will report on the progress of these initiatives and offer recommendations in case of their implementation.
