A fact that workers dreamed of and many employers feared is still not going to happen. The 40-hour work week is going to the freezer.
The Chamber of Deputies had proposed to amend paragraph A of Article 123 of the Constitution.
With this, the workday would not exceed 40 hours per week and at least two days off for every five days of work.
Most importantly, it proposed to reduce the number of hours worked, which today is 48 hours per week.
Now, the Chamber of Deputies itself has decided that this proposal will not be voted on during this ordinary session.
In fact, the original proposal dictated that the working week be reduced to 35 hours per week, which implied 3 days off for every 4 days worked.
Can you imagine?
Today, the Federal Labor Law (LFT) establishes that a worker may work up to 48 hours per week, with a maximum of eight hours per day for six days per week.
More hours worked equals higher productivity?
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that Mexico is the country with the highest number of working hours per year of all the countries that make up the OECD.
In Mexico we work 2,137 hours per year, while the average for the institution is 1,730 hours.
Mexico is the country where people work the longest hours, but productivity is low.
Total Factor Productivity registered a decrease of 3.69%.
And this makes sense, since there are two concepts that are intimately linked.
A worker who has adequate time to rest, who has a good work-life balance, and who also enjoys a good work environment, is more productive.
The other four countries with the most hours worked on average are:
- Costa Rica (2 thousand 60 hours per year)
- South Korea (1,967)
- Russia (1,965)
- Greece (1,949)
The countries with the lowest average working hours are:
- Denmark (1,380)
- Norway (1,384)
- Germany (1,386)
- The Netherlands (1,434)
- Sweden (1,452)
How would you view the reduction of working hours in your company, do you think it would positively impact overall productivity?
At the payroll level, a great way to reduce stress and time, and to add pay period to pay period productivity, is to have a reliable payroll software with Zentric.
Finally, remember that this is the best place to keep up to date with the payroll world.
See you next time!
