Real pages from the kit files. The worked examples are illustrative.
Mexico 40-Hour Workweek Readiness Kit
Plan the move from a 48-hour week to 40 without cutting pay: size the coverage gap and the people to fill it, model the overtime cost, give employees the right notice and a schedule-change agreement in Spanish, and track the phase-in through 2030.
One-time purchase, no subscription. Instant download.
Built by expert HR practitioners and leaders
- A six-tab transition tracker that does the math: an affected-roles inventory, a Coverage Gap Model that returns the gap hours and the full-time equivalents per role, an Overtime Cost Model split across the double-time and triple-time bands, a phase-in schedule seeded 2027 to 2030, and a compliance log
- A transition policy you adopt once: standard hours, the phase-in, rest days, overtime, coverage, timekeeping, schedule changes, exceptions, roles, and review, in editable Word with a print-ready PDF
- Employee documents in English and full Spanish: an employee notice that carries the pay-and-benefits guarantee and a schedule-change agreement, each with a reviewer flag for a Spanish-speaking professional
- A manager FAQ and playbook: coverage planning, the overtime and rest-day rules, eight questions answered, and rules of thumb for the people running the schedule
- A free readiness calculator: a browser tool that estimates the hours each employee loses, the full-time equivalents to cover the gap, and the annual cost of covering it, running locally and uploading nothing
The kit sizes the gap, models the cost, and prepares the documents. It does not decide that a schedule complies, and it routes the legal call, any change to working conditions among them, to qualified Mexican employment counsel.
Templates, a tracker, and general business information for planning, not legal or tax advice. The reform is recent and its operational detail is still being clarified, so confirm the current Ley Federal del Trabajo with qualified Mexican employment counsel, and have the Spanish documents reviewed by a Spanish-speaking professional, before you rely on them.
Last reviewed June 2026
Seven pieces that take the transition from plan to record
A tracker that does the math, four templates you adapt and send, a free web calculator, and a one-page orientation. Built to be used together across the phase-in.
Start Here
A one-page map of the kit: what each piece does and the order to use them, with the counsel moments and the instruction to confirm the current Ley Federal del Trabajo named up front. Read it first.
The Transition Tracker (6 tabs)
An affected-roles inventory, a Coverage Gap Model that computes the gap hours per role and the full-time equivalents to cover it, an Overtime Cost Model that splits projected overtime into the double-time and triple-time bands and returns the weekly and annual cost, a phase-in schedule seeded from 2027 to 2030, and a communication and compliance log. It opens on a worked example and works in Excel or Google Sheets.
The Transition Policy Template
An internal policy covering standard hours, the phase-in, rest days, overtime, coverage, timekeeping, schedule changes, exceptions, roles, and review. Editable Word with a print-ready PDF.
The Employee Notice Template (English and Spanish)
A notice in English and full Spanish, carrying the guarantee that pay and benefits do not fall with the hours, with a reviewer flag for a Spanish-speaking professional. Editable Word with a print-ready PDF.
The Schedule Change Agreement Template (English and Spanish)
A consent and acknowledgment in English and full Spanish, with a counsel-review flag in both languages. Editable Word with a print-ready PDF.
The Manager Workweek FAQ and Playbook
Coverage planning, the overtime and rest-day rules, eight questions and answers, and rules of thumb for managers running the schedule. Editable Word with a print-ready PDF.
The Readiness Calculator
A browser tool that estimates the hours each employee loses, the full-time equivalents to cover the gap, and the annual cost of covering it with staff or overtime. It runs locally and uploads nothing.
The method, in the order the transition runs
Scope first, model second, then notify and track. The kit plans and documents the move; Mexican employment counsel confirms the rule and reviews any change to working conditions.
Confirm scope and the year's target
Confirm the reform applies to your operations in Mexico and pick the phase-in target for the current year. The hours step down on a fixed schedule, so the work is preparation, not a one-time switch.
Inventory and set the policy
Inventory each affected role in the tracker and adopt the transition policy, setting the standard hours, the rest days, and the overtime rules in one written place managers can point to.
Model the gap and the cost
Model the coverage gap and the overtime cost, then send the employee notice and the schedule-change agreement, with the Spanish versions reviewed by a Spanish-speaking HR or legal professional before they go out.
Track and confirm
Track the phase-in steps and your communications in the tracker, confirm the current Ley Federal del Trabajo rule before you act, and take any change to working conditions to counsel.
Built on the reform and honest about its limits
The transition is a real operational change, not a paperwork update: hours come down on a fixed schedule, pay and benefits hold flat by law, and someone has to cover the gap those hours leave. The kit sizes that gap, models the cost of covering it, prepares the employee documents in both languages, and is clear throughout that the legal call sits with Mexican counsel.
The kit tells you when to call counsel
Most of the transition is planning you can do in-house with the tracker and the templates. Some calls carry real exposure, and the kit marks them, so you get qualified Mexican counsel before you act rather than after.
Who does what
The transition splits the work between you, the kit, and your counsel. Here is the split, stated plainly.
- The kit does the math; you make the calls. The tracker sizes the coverage gap, the full-time equivalents, and the overtime cost. Choosing how to cover the gap and what to commit to is yours to do.
- The kit prepares the documents; you send them. The notice and the agreement ship in English and full Spanish. You have the Spanish reviewed, then issue them on your own timeline.
- The kit flags the legal lines; counsel rules on them. A change to working conditions, the overtime treatment, and a six-day schedule are signals to get qualified input. The kit tells you when a matter needs counsel; counsel tells you what to do about it.
- The kit states the reform as reviewed; counsel confirms it is current. The 40-hour change is built in as of the June 2026 review date, and its operational detail is still being clarified. Confirm the current Ley Federal del Trabajo before you rely on it.
- The kit tracks the phase-in; you work the schedule. The tracker seeds the steps from 2027 to 2030 and keeps the communication log. Acting on each step, on time, is yours.
Who it is built for
Who this kit fits, and where to go if that is not you.
Built for
- An HR or operations team at a company with employees in Mexico, in manufacturing, logistics, services, or a continuous operation, planning the move to 40 hours without cutting pay.
- A people team that needs the employee notice, the schedule-change consent, and a manager FAQ in Spanish as well as English.
- A finance or operations partner sizing the coverage gap, the full-time equivalents needed, and the overtime cost across the phase-in.
If you’re looking for
- General staffing or overtime cost math without the Mexico transition specifics. The Shift Staffing Planner and the Overtime vs New Hire Planner handle the workforce math on their own.
- EU or US pay-transparency posting preparation, not the Mexico workweek. The Global Employer EU Readiness Bundle and the US State Pay Transparency Pack cover those.
Before you buy
What format are the files and what is in Spanish?
Is this legal advice?
Does the reform apply to us?
When do the hours change?
Can we reduce pay along with the hours?
How does the overtime model work?
Will it stay current as the detail settles?
What is the refund policy?
What happens after I buy?
Can I expense this purchase to my business?
Most customers buy TrueStep HR tools for business use, and a tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense. Whether it does for you depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant or tax professional. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.
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Plan the move to 40 hours without cutting pay
Size the coverage gap, model the overtime cost, notify employees in English and Spanish, and track the phase-in through 2030, in files you keep, with the counsel moments marked.
Templates, a tracker, and general business information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed June 2026.