By industry · 5 min read
Attendance control for coffee shops: how to comply with the law
Short answer
A coffee shop can meet the electronic working-time record requirement with a QR code printed on site, which each person scans with their 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 coffee shop
A coffee shop employs baristas, cashiers and kitchen staff, with openings from 6:00 am and short student shifts. That brings three challenges for measuring working hours:
- Part-time shifts change every week.
- Early openings depend on a single person.
- There are several branches with the same team rotating.
What the law requires of coffee shops
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.
Multiple locations. Each place needs its own clock-in point. With a QR code, that is one printed sheet per location.
Staff turnover. Each new person must clock in from their first day. With an app, registering them takes minutes.
Hourly or temporary staff. They have the same working-hour limits and must also be recorded.
How to record working time at a coffee shop
- Register the workplace and its shifts.
- Print the QR code and post it at the entrance or next to the register.
- Each person scans it on arrival, when leaving for a break and when going home.
- At the end of the day you review what does not add up and download the report whenever you need it.
Example. A barista opens at 6:30 at one branch and covers the afternoon at another. Each record is linked to the branch where she scanned.
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 coffee shop
- Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook.
- Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out.
- Not identifying which Sundays each person worked.
- Using a different control at each location.
- Leaving new people without a record during their first days.
- Not recording temporary staff because they only come in for one day.
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 $350 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $43.75. One overtime hour at double time costs $87.50 and one at triple time, $131.25. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $787.50 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
Overtime: what it is. Overtime is the hours worked above the ordinary workday.
What is the payroll CFDI. The payroll CFDI is the payment receipt stamped with the SAT that the company issues for each salary payment.
Vacation premium: how much it is and when it is paid. The vacation premium is an additional payment of at least 25% on the salary for the vacation days.
Frequently asked questions
Does a coffee shop 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.
What happens if someone works at two locations?
Use the same account. Each record is linked to the place where it was made.
What happens when the STPS publishes its rules?
They will specify who the record applies to and its exceptions. It is worth checking them as soon as they appear in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
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.