Starbucks 40-hour workweek Mexico employee and store benefits, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): The reduction of the workweek to 40 hours in Mexico is beginning to shape working conditions for thousands of people. Some companies have already started adjusting their hiring schemes to prepare for this transformation, and Starbucks is one of them.
The coffee chain launched a project to reorganize the schedules of its operational workers with the aim of optimizing shifts, offering more rest days and improving working conditions. The company said the strategy also produced economic benefits, generating savings of 200 million pesos and avoiding other costs linked to minimum wage increases.
Between 2017 and 2024, Starbucks used two main hiring schemes: one of 48 weekly hours spread over six days, and another of 36 hours, also spread over six workdays. Facing wage changes and the upcoming reduction of the workweek in Mexico, the company decided to restructure hiring conditions for about 9,000 employees.
The proposal concentrated working hours into shifts of up to eight hours while reducing attendance to five, four or even three days per week, depending on the agreed scheme. The pilot project encountered setbacks because a group of workers expressed dissatisfaction with the changes, so the company temporarily halted implementation and opened a two-month dialogue period with employees and unions.
After modifying its strategy and improving communication, 80% of the approximately 9,000 workers agreed to sign the new contracts immediately, while the rest joined gradually. One of the main benefits of the reorganization is the ability to concentrate work hours into fewer days, giving employees more rest days each week.
Starbucks also reported a two-percentage-point reduction in staff turnover and a 50% decrease in labor absenteeism, indicators that reflect the results of the changes. The company said the reorganization benefited not only workers but also its operational and financial indicators.
According to the report, the reduction of the workweek for the rest of Mexican workers will be applied gradually starting in 2027, reaching 40 weekly hours in 2030. The measure is intended to benefit millions of workers in the country, and the reduction in hours should not lead to a salary decrease or affect acquired benefits and labor rights.
The Starbucks case shows how reorganizing schedules can become an option for improving employee conditions and optimizing business operations before the labor reform reaches full implementation.
