Starbucks Mexico 40-hour workweek reform, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Mexico’s labor reform is set to begin, with the reduction of the weekly workday to 40 hours starting in 2027 under a gradual schedule. Facing this change, Starbucks decided to anticipate the shift this year, modifying the conditions of its employees and reporting unexpected results: millions in savings from unworked hours.
Diana González, former Human Resources director of the chain in the country, shared details of the project during a forum on global challenges organized by the association Arioac. The executive explained that the strategy generated 200 million pesos in real savings by optimizing the company’s resources.
This economic benefit was added to the prevention of another 200 million pesos in future impacts. Those costs were associated with projected minimum wage increases over the next two years, according to data reported by a national newspaper on the executive’s presentation.
Between 2017 and 2024, the company operated schedules of 48 and 36 hours distributed over six days. The minimum wage increase made the second model unviable, forcing the company to seek workable alternatives for its operational staff across the country.
The solution consisted of concentrating working time to offer more rest days. Employees moved to shifts of up to eight hours spread over five, four or three days, without affecting their income or breaching the salary rules in force in the country.
The process faced obstacles in its first stage of implementation. A group of workers rejected the change due to a lack of prior agreements, which led management to halt the pilot program to open a two-month dialogue period with unions.
After adjusting communication and holding individual talks, 80% of the workforce accepted the new contracts. The change reduced staff turnover by two percentage points and cut absenteeism in stores by half, improving the work environment.
The coffee chain’s case coincides with the transition the entire country will undergo. The Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) determined that the maximum limit will fall from 48 to 46 hours in 2027, 44 in 2028, 42 in 2029, reaching 40 in 2030.
The federal agency estimates that more than 13 million people will benefit from this historic measure. The commerce, lodging and food preparation sectors are among those expected to see the greatest positive impact from the reorganization of schedules.
The legal change preserves workers’ acquired rights intact. Overtime pay, Sunday premiums, vacations, holidays and the eight-hour daily limit remain unchanged for the entire Mexican workforce.
