--- title: "Attendance control for private security companies: how to comply with the law · Sicheca" description: "How to keep the electronic working-time record at a private security company: shifts, overtime, fines and the simplest way to record." url: https://sicheca.com/en/blog/control-de-asistencia-para-seguridad-privada lang: en alternate_es: https://sicheca.com/blog/control-de-asistencia-para-seguridad-privada.md --- By industry · 5 min read # Attendance control for private security companies: how to comply with the law Short answer A private security company can meet the electronic working-time record requirement from each person's phone, with the location confirmed only at the moment of clocking in. 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 private security company A private security company employs guards, supervisors and monitoring staff, with 12-on, 12-off and 24-on, 24-off shifts at client sites. That brings three challenges for measuring working hours: - 24-hour shifts clash with the 12-hour daily maximum. - Guards are scattered across many sites. - Late handoffs stretch shifts. ## What the law requires of private security companies 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](https://sicheca.com/en/reforma-laboral-2027). **Night shifts.** A night shift lasts 7 hours at most, one less than a day shift. It helps if the record separates night hours from day hours. **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. **Multiple locations.** Each place needs its own clock-in point. With a QR code, that is one printed sheet per location. **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 private security company 1. Register your team and their shifts. 2. Each person clocks in from their phone where their shift begins. 3. The location is captured only when clocking in; there is no tracking during the day. 4. You see in one place who has already started, who is missing and where they clocked in. **Example.** The sum of ordinary and overtime hours cannot exceed 12 hours in a day. 24-on, 24-off shifts need to be reviewed with a lawyer. ## 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 private security company - Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook. - Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out. - Not separating night hours, which have a lower daily maximum. - Not identifying which Sundays each person worked. - Leaving new people without a record during their first days. - Using a different control at each location. ## What to check every day and every week **Every day.** - Who did not record their clock-in or clock-out. - Shifts that went over their daily maximum. - Records made in unexpected places. - Departures later than planned. **Every week.** - Each person's overtime against the weekly cap. - Sundays worked, for the Sunday premium. - 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 $330 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $41.25. One overtime hour at double time costs $82.50 and one at triple time, $123.75. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $742.50 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 **[What are the internal work regulations](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/reglamento-interior-de-trabajo).** The internal work regulations are the document with the mandatory rules inside the company: schedules, breaks, pay days and disciplinary measures. **[What is the seventh day (séptimo día)](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/septimo-dia).** The seventh day is the paid rest day, at full salary, that every person is entitled to for every six days worked. **[What is REPSE](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/que-es-el-repse).** REPSE is the STPS registry required of every company that provides specialized services or work to another company with its own staff. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does a private security company 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 are shifts that cross midnight recorded? Clock-in and clock-out are saved with their actual date and time, and the hours are added up even if the day changes. ### 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. ### Is the reform already in force? Yes. The reform to the Federal Labor Law took effect on May 1, 2026. The reduction in working hours starts on January 1, 2027. ## 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](https://sidof.segob.gob.mx/notas/docFuente/5786537). Official Gazette of the Federation, May 1, 2026. - [Federal Labor Law, current text](https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LFT.pdf). 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. ## Keep reading [ By industry **Time clock for cleaning companies: working-time record without devices**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/reloj-checador-para-empresas-de-limpieza) [ By industry **Electronic working-time record for gardening and landscaping companies**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/registro-de-jornada-para-jardineria-y-paisajismo) [ By industry **Time clock for specialized services companies (REPSE): working-time record without devices**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/reloj-checador-para-servicios-especializados-repse) [ Calculators **Overtime calculator**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/calculadora-de-horas-extra) [See all articles](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/) Who publishes this blog Sicheca is a digital time clock for recording working time from your phone. We write these guides from the official text of the law, so any business can understand what applies to it. 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