Glossary · 2 min read
Mixed shift: what it is and how long it lasts
Short answer
The mixed shift combines day and night hours, as long as the night hours are less than three and a half. Its maximum length is 7 and a half hours.
| Shift | Schedule | Daily maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Day | Between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm | 8 hours |
| Night | Between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am | 7 hours |
| Mixed | Both day and night, with less than 3 and a half night hours | 7 and a half hours |
Articles 60 and 61 of the LFT.
When it stops being mixed
If you work three and a half hours or more at night, the whole shift is considered a night shift.
Example
From 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: an hour and a half at night. It is mixed and lasts 7 and a half hours, exactly the maximum.
Why everything starts with the working-time record
Almost every labor calculation starts from the same data point: how many hours and which days each person worked. If that data is uncertain, so is everything else.
- Overtime: it is paid according to the hours of each week.
- Sunday premium and rest days worked: they depend on which days were worked.
- Aguinaldo and profit sharing: they use the days worked in the year.
- Labor lawsuits: the company must prove the working time.
Since 2026, the Federal Labor Law requires that record to be electronic, per person, with start and end time.
Common mistakes
- Using the UMA or minimum wage value from a previous year.
- Confusing daily salary, integrated salary and contribution base salary.
- Calculating benefits without knowing the days actually worked.
- Taking the legal minimums as if they were the maximum.
- Not keeping the backup of the calculation.
What to do now
- Confirm the current value for the year.
- Have each person's daily salary at hand.
- Check the days and hours worked in your record.
- Do the math and keep it.
- Validate it with your accountant.
Related terms
What is the seventh day (séptimo día). 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. REPSE is the STPS registry required of every company that provides specialized services or work to another company with its own staff.
Minimum wage in Mexico: how much it is and how it is used. The minimum wage is the least a person can receive for a workday.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the hour worth on a mixed shift?
The daily salary divided by 7.5.
Are the amounts gross or net?
Gross. They do not account for taxes or social security contributions.
Can I use this for my payroll?
It works as a reference. Your accountant should do or validate the payroll calculation.
Where does the data come from?
From the Federal Labor Law and from the official values published by INEGI and the National Minimum Wage Commission.
Do these values change every year?
Yes. The UMA is updated every February 1 and the minimum wage every January 1. Always confirm the current value.
Legal basis and sources
- 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.