Cancún restaurants shift schedules for 40-hour workweek, Digi Mart USA News (Quintana Roo, Mexico): Restaurants in Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres plan to reorganize their work schedules and shifts to adapt to the reduction of the working week in Mexico, whose implementation will begin in 2027.
Perla Flores Navarro, president of the Cancún chapter of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (Canirac), said the sector has spent roughly two years analyzing the effects of the labor reform. Faced with rising operating costs, business owners will try to make the fullest possible use of staff they already employ before considering new hires.
The first measure the restaurant sector is considering is changing hours and redistributing staff shifts. Flores Navarro said some establishments currently lack the financial capacity to expand their workforces, so they will need to optimize available human resources and adjust their operating models.
According to Canirac, restaurants in northern Quintana Roo are currently operating at about 60% of capacity. Expectations for the year-end weeks point to a recovery, with estimated levels between 70% and 75%, but that still limits the possibility of new investment and staff expansion.
Business owners also face reduced financial margins after a difficult season, which increases pressure ahead of their financial commitments for 2027. Flores Navarro said the reorganization of shifts will be necessary to respond to the reduction of the weekly workday from 48 to 40 hours, although the possibility of creating new jobs will depend on the sector’s economic results.
According to the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), the reduction will begin in 2027 and advance through a gradual transition period ending in 2030. Rather than applying the change immediately, the schedule calls for reducing two hours per year until the new weekly limit is reached, giving businesses several years to adapt their operations.
The STPS has clarified that reducing working hours should not mean a reduction in wages or worker benefits.
Canirac representatives in the state recently warned that between 50 and 55 restaurants could permanently close their operations during 2026. The organization estimates that each closure represents about 10 direct jobs.
Rising input prices, transportation costs and other economic obligations add further strain, leaving businesses with smaller margins to absorb new costs.
The transition to a 40-hour workweek will represent a significant adjustment for restaurants in Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres. Although the change aims to expand workers’ rest time, establishments will need to adapt schedules and staff distribution to comply with the new limit.
The process will also coincide with other financial commitments, including the increase in the minimum wage and tax obligations.
Canirac considers that modifying shifts will be the first alternative for facing the reform without immediately increasing staffing levels.
