Working conditions and labour laws in Mexico

Priscilla wrote:

Hello,

Working conditions differ across the world, and as a working expat, it is important to know your rights as an employee.

Are working conditions standard in Mexico? For instance, are working hours, paid time off, and sick leave different for expats v.s. locals? Do they differ based on the type of company (private, public, NGO)?

Are there laws in place regarding physical conditions of the office, employee protection, etc.?

What are some resources in Mexico to inform people about labour laws and employee rights (websites, governmental associations)?

Have the general working conditions or labour laws changed in any way lately?

How do the working conditions and labour laws in Mexico differ from your country of origin?

Thank you for sharing your experience,

Priscilla

I can't really say much about this topic because I do not work here and do not know any expats that do. Many of the expats I see are either retired or own a business.

I do know they have a minimum wage law and that schedules seem pretty flexible in many cases. That could be good or bad.  Some of the locals work freelance and that can also be good or bad. If they have to give receipts than they will have to possibly pay taxes so many try to avoid those.  Some do the work and don't get paid.
I'm more on the employer end than the working end.

Hi Priscilla, like "travellight", I am more of an employer. But, I know quite a few mexican workers that have difficulties with there employer paying them accordingly to the labor law (which covers lots of areas such as wages/trade, health care coverage, sick/parental/pregnancy leave, vacations, aguinaldo, pension, etc...).

For me, as an employer hiring a maid she gets all the benefits and just last week she gave birth so she is entitled to 6 weeks paid leave.

I hope all expats that hire personnel pay all benefits based on the law.

Adios y buen dia a todos, GyC.

I don't really know cause I was a one man business. Sort of like a taco stand. my naterio (lawyer) took care of every. From what I have seen, it depends on the business.

It highly depends on the sector you are working in, whether working conditions are standard. Generally, if you are working for a company, you have standard conditions such as health insurance, fixed working hours, sick leave may also be arranged. This should all be in the contract that you sign, so make sure you carefully read it. You could go to the Mexican governmental website to find information, however each company may use this information differently so make sure you know what to expect from the company you are going to work for.

Working in Mexico for a company has been very different from working for Dutch companies. To start with, there is a high sense of hierarchy in Mexico whilst this doesn't exist in the Netherlands. You are also often expected to stay overtime (depending on the company) and work extra hours, so make sure you made an arrangement ahead of time whether these hours will be paid or you can have them as time off later.
***

Saludos, Debbie