Sales appointments that end after clock-out time

The most common case

Shift from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Appointment at 5:00 p.m. that ends at 7:30 p.m. The workday did not end at 6:00 p.m. "on paper": it ended at 7:30 p.m.

How it is paid

The additional hour and a half counts toward the weekly overtime cap and is paid at double time, or at triple time if the cap has already been exceeded.

How to prevent it from piling up

• Schedule late appointments with an early clock-out another day of the same week, by agreement.
• Review every week who accumulates late clock-outs.
• Do not schedule appointments that leave the day at more than 12 hours.

What is not advisable

Recording the clock-out at 6:00 p.m. "so it adds up". If a claim comes later, the calendar and the messages with the client will show the real time.

The reform in one minute

The reform has two parts. On March 3, 2026, article 123 of the Constitution was amended to set the 40-hour workweek. On May 1, 2026, the Federal Labor Law was amended, which is where the detail is.

• The maximum working week drops from 48 to 40 hours, two hours per year, between 2027 and 2030.
• Overtime has a weekly cap: it is paid at double time up to the cap and at triple time for up to 4 more hours.
• Each company must electronically record the start and end time of each person's workday.
• Not keeping that record is fined 250 to 5,000 UMA.
• Salary and benefits cannot go down because of the reduction in hours.

What remains pending are the STPS general rules, which will define who the record applies to and what exceptions there will be. They take effect on January 1, 2027.

Decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on May 1, 2026, second and fourth transitory provisions, and article 68 of the LFT. Each change applies from January 1.

Common mistakes

• Assuming that someone who is not in the office has no workday.
• Requiring people to come by the office just to record.
• Recording the shift time and not the real time.
• Confusing being reachable with working.
• Over-monitoring instead of recording properly.

What to do now

1. List who works outside the office and under which arrangement.
2. Define for each arrangement where the workday begins and where it ends.
3. Put it in writing and explain it to the team.
4. Have each person record from their phone, wherever they are.
5. Review late clock-outs and long days every week.

Related terms

What the STPS is and what it does. The STPS is the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

What is a labor severance payment (liquidación). The liquidación is what is paid when the company ends the employment relationship without just cause.

Vacations by law: how many days are owed. With one year of work, 12 days of vacation are owed.

Frequently asked questions

Legal basis and sources