By industry · 4 min read
Attendance control for car washes: how to comply with the law
Short answer
A car wash can meet the electronic working-time record requirement with a shared tablet at the entrance, so nobody has to use 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 car wash
A car wash employs washers, detailers and cashiers, with sunrise-to-sunset workdays and busy weekends. That brings three challenges for measuring working hours:
- Turnover is very high.
- People work Saturday and Sunday.
- Many employees do not have an email address.
What the law requires of car washes
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.
Sundays. Someone who works on a Sunday is entitled to a premium of at least 25% of one day's wage. The record tells you which Sundays each person worked.
Staff turnover. Each new person must clock in from their first day. With an app, registering them takes minutes.
How to record working time at a car wash
- 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 at the register works for everyone: each washer identifies themselves and clocks in without using their own phone.
Calculate the Sunday premium
How to do the math by hand
With $400 per day, the premium for one Sunday is 400 × 25% = $100. If the person worked all four Sundays of the month, it is $400.
Common mistakes at a car wash
- Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook.
- Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out.
- Not identifying which Sundays each person worked.
- Leaving new people without a record during their first days.
What to check every day and every week
Every day.
- Who did not record their clock-in or clock-out.
- Departures later than planned.
Every week.
- Each person's overtime against the weekly cap.
- Sundays worked, for the Sunday premium.
- Rest days that were actually taken.
How much an overtime hour costs: example in pesos
Suppose a daily wage of $400 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $50. One overtime hour at double time costs $100 and one at triple time, $150. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $900 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 a finiquito (final settlement). The finiquito is the payment of what the company owes a person when the employment relationship ends, regardless of the cause.
Aguinaldo: how much it is and how it is calculated. The aguinaldo (year-end bonus) is an annual payment of at least 15 days of salary, which must be paid before December 20.
What is PROFEDET. PROFEDET is the Federal Labor Defense Attorney's Office (Procuraduría Federal de la Defensa del Trabajo).
Frequently asked questions
Does a car wash 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.
How do I know how much Sunday premium to pay?
With the record you know which Sundays each person worked; the premium is at least 25% of one day's wage.
How long does it take to register someone new?
Minutes. They can clock in from their first day.
Who monitors compliance?
The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, through inspections.
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.