--- title: "Covering a coworker's shift: how to record it · Sicheca" description: "Practical rules for shift swaps between coworkers and their effect on the weekly workday." url: https://sicheca.com/en/blog/cubrir-el-turno-de-un-companero lang: en alternate_es: https://sicheca.com/blog/cubrir-el-turno-de-un-companero.md --- Cases and situations · 3 min read # Covering a coworker's shift: how to record it Short answer A shift swap between coworkers must be authorized and recorded with each person's actual hours. What you need to watch is that neither goes over the weekly working hours or ends up without a rest day. ## Risks - Someone working seven days in a row. - Someone adding up two shifts in one day. - Payroll paying the person who did not work. ## How to do it right - Advance notice to the supervisor. - Each person records the shift they actually worked. - Review of both people's weekly totals. ## 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. | 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. ## Common mistakes - Resolving each case verbally, without putting it in writing. - Adjusting the record to match the official schedule. - Leaving days without a record and without an explanation. - Treating alike situations the law distinguishes. - Learning about the problem only when a claim arrives. ## What to do now 1. Identify whether this case occurs in your company and how often. 2. Define the rule and write it into your policy or internal regulations. 3. Explain it to the team and the managers. 4. Verify that the record reflects the real time. 5. Review the month's cases and adjust the rule if needed. ## Related terms **[Vacations by law: how many days are owed](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/vacaciones-por-ley).** With one year of work, 12 days of vacation are owed. **[IMSS contributions: what they are and who pays them](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/cuotas-del-imss).** Employer-employee contributions are the payments to the IMSS that fund social security. **[What is attendance control](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/control-de-asistencia).** Attendance control is any means of knowing who came to work and at what time. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does the swap create overtime? If the person covering goes over their weekly working hours, yes. ### Is overtime counted by week? Yes. The cap on double-time overtime is weekly and per person. ### Can someone work more than 12 hours in a day? No. The sum of ordinary and overtime hours cannot exceed 12 hours per day. ### Does salary go down if fewer hours are worked? No. The reform prohibits lowering wages and benefits because of the reduction in working hours. ### 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 - Working hours: articles 58 to 64 of the LFT and second transitory provision of the decree. - Workday as time at the company's disposal: article 58 of the LFT. - [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 [ Cases and situations **Hourly permits and making up time**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/permisos-por-horas-y-reposicion-de-tiempo) [ Cases and situations **Sick leave, vacations and absences: how they look in the record**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/incapacidades-vacaciones-y-faltas-en-el-registro) [ Cases and situations **Breastfeeding period: breaks and working hours**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/periodo-de-lactancia-y-jornada) [ Law and fines **Electronic working-time record: what it is and what the law requires**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/registro-electronico-de-jornada-que-es) [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. If you want to try it, there is a waitlist. [Join the waitlist](https://sicheca.com/en/lista-de-espera?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=articulo&utm_campaign=cubrir-el-turno-de-un-companero&utm_content=final)