Client Alert

Chair Law Approval

The Senate unanimously approves the reform to the Federal Labor Law regarding rest breaks during the work shift.

On December 04th, 2024, the Senate unanimously approved a reform to the Federal Labor Law on “rest breaks during the work shift”, with the purpose of both promoting the protection of the employees’ health and guaranteeing their right to rest in a seat with a backrest during their regular work shift.

This reform, commonly referred to as Chair Law, contains provisions of a mandatory nature for the service and commerce sectors and other similar workplaces, i.e., those where the work performed does not require employees to remain standing during the entire work shift, such as supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies, banks, etc.

In this sense, the reform creates the obligation for employers to guarantee the existence at the workplace of a sufficient number of seats or chairs with backrests for the periodic rests of their employees, establishing the express prohibition of forcing them to stand during their entire work shift.

Likewise, it is established that employers are obligated to include in their Internal Working Regulations the rest breaks that employees shall have throughout their work shift, ensuring their right to a seat with a  backrest.

Once it is published  in the Official Gazette of the Federation, workplaces will have 180 days to comply with the obligations set out in this reform, and thus avoid the imposition of any sanction by the Authority.

For further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our Labor and Social Security Law team.



Contact:

Gerardo Valencia
gvalencia@cuestacampos.com

Sandra Chávez
schavez@cuestacampos.com



THE ABOVE IS PROVIDED AS GENERAL INFORMATION PREPARED BY PROFESSIONALS WITH REGARD TO THE SUBJECT MATTER. THIS DOCUMENT ONLY REFERS TO THE APPLICABLE LAW IN MEXICO. WHILE EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON AS LEGAL, ACCOUNTING OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEING RENDERED.