By industry · 5 min read
Attendance control for ranches, greenhouses and packing plants: how to comply with the law
Short answer
A ranch or packing plant can meet the electronic working-time record requirement with a shared tablet at the entrance, without anyone using their own phone. The law requires recording each person's start and end time; it does not require a wall-mounted time clock.
How work happens at a ranch or packing plant
A ranch or packing plant employs farm workers, packers, supervisors and drivers, with workdays that start at dawn, with seasonal harvests. That brings three challenges for measuring working hours:
- The harvest concentrates the work into a few weeks.
- The staff is temporary.
- There is no office or stable signal in the field.
What the law requires of ranches, greenhouses and packing plants
Since the 2026 reform, the Federal Labor Law requires recording electronically the start and end time of each worker's workday (article 132, section XXXIV). Failing to do so is fined 250 to 5,000 UMA. The STPS will define who it applies to and what exceptions there will be. The details are in the reform guide.
Work peaks. Overtime has a weekly cap: 9 hours at double time in 2027, with a maximum of 4 per day on no more than 4 days, and never more than 12 total hours in a day.
Hourly or temporary staff. They have the same working-hour limits and must also be recorded.
Work outside the premises. The time a person is at the company's disposal is working time, even if they are not at your facilities.
How to record working time at a ranch or packing plant
- Register the workplace and your team.
- Place a tablet at the entrance or with the supervisor.
- Each person identifies themselves and records their clock-in and clock-out.
- The supervisor reviews the day and corrects with a stated reason whatever is needed.
Example. A tablet with the crew supervisor lets everyone clock in at the start and end of the workday.
Calculate your overtime
How to do the math by hand
Take a salary of $400 per day on a day shift. The ordinary hour is worth 400 ÷ 8 = $50. In 2027, with 11 overtime hours in the week, the first 9 are paid at double time (9 × $100 = $900) and the remaining 2 at triple time (2 × $150 = $300). Total: $1,200.
Common mistakes at a ranch or packing plant
- Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook.
- Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out.
- Covering peaks only with overtime, until exceeding the weekly cap.
- Not recording temporary staff because they only come in for one day.
- Asking staff who work offsite to stop by the office just to clock in.
What to check every day and every week
Every day.
- Who did not record their clock-in or clock-out.
- Records made in unexpected places.
- Departures later than planned.
Every week.
- Each person's overtime against the weekly cap.
- Days when someone came close to 12 hours.
- Rest days that were actually taken.
How much an overtime hour costs: example in pesos
Suppose a daily wage of $320 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $40. One overtime hour at double time costs $80 and one at triple time, $120. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $720 extra.
It is an example to show the calculation, not a reference wage for the sector.
What changes every year, from 2026 to 2030
| Year | Maximum working hours | Double-time overtime | Triple-time overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 h | 9 h | 4 h |
| 2027 | 46 h | 9 h | 4 h |
| 2028 | 44 h | 10 h | 4 h |
| 2029 | 42 h | 11 h | 4 h |
| 2030 | 40 h | 12 h | 4 h |
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.
Related terms
What is NOM-037 on telework. NOM-037 sets the safety and health conditions for telework.
What is the integrated daily salary (SDI). The integrated daily salary adds to the daily-rate salary the benefits the person receives, such as aguinaldo and vacation premium.
What is the Federal Labor Law (LFT). The Federal Labor Law governs the relationships between companies and workers in Mexico: working hours, salary, rest, benefits and termination.
Frequently asked questions
Does a ranch or packing plant need to buy a time clock?
No. The law requires an electronic record of working time, not a device. An app on a phone complies.
What options are there for recording working time?
An app on each person's phone, a shared tablet or a clock connected to a system. All three comply if they generate an electronic record per person, with a start and an end time.
Can I ask for more overtime in peak season?
The weekly cap is not extended for the season. It helps to plan relief staff.
Does temporary staff also clock in?
Yes. Their record is kept even if they work only one day.
Where do I find the official text?
In the Official Gazette of the Federation of May 1, 2026 and in the current version of the Federal Labor Law published by the Chamber of Deputies.
Legal basis and sources
- Electronic working-time record: article 132, section XXXIV, of the LFT and fifth transitory provision of the decree.
- Overtime: articles 66 and 68 of the LFT and fourth transitory provision of the decree.
- Working hours: articles 58 to 64 of the LFT and second transitory provision of the decree.
- Decree amending the Federal Labor Law on the reduction of the working week. Official Gazette of the Federation, May 1, 2026.
- Federal Labor Law, current text. Chamber of Deputies.
How we write this content. The Sicheca team writes it from the official text of the law. When something is not yet defined by the authority, we say so. It is general information and does not replace the advice of a lawyer or an accountant.