--- title: "The 12-hour daily work limit · Sicheca" description: "The sum of the ordinary workday and overtime cannot exceed 12 hours per day. What it means in practice." url: https://sicheca.com/en/blog/limite-12-horas-diarias lang: en alternate_es: https://sicheca.com/blog/limite-12-horas-diarias.md --- Hours and workday · 3 min read # The 12-hour limit of work per day Short answer No one can work more than 12 hours in a day, adding up the ordinary workday and overtime. Article 68 of the Federal Labor Law says so since May 1, 2026. ## How it is counted Day shift of 8 hours plus 4 hours of overtime: 12 hours, the maximum. Night shift of 7 hours plus 4 of overtime: 11 hours. ## Who it hits hardest Industries with long shifts: security, hospitals, events, transport and plants with compressed workweeks. ## How to monitor it With a record that shows the hours of each day, not just the weekly total. ## 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 - Adding up overtime by pay period (quincena) instead of by week. - Forgetting the maximum of 4 overtime hours a day and 4 days a week. - Not counting as working time the time a person is at the company's disposal. - Dividing by 8 hours when the shift is night or mixed. - Paying at double time hours that already correspond to triple time. ## What to do now 1. Measure actual hours for the last four weeks. 2. Identify who exceeds the maximum workweek for the year. 3. Redesign the shifts. 4. Define who authorizes overtime. 5. Check each person's cap every week. ## Related terms **[Day shift: schedule and maximum length](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/jornada-diurna).** The day shift is the one worked between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. **[What is NOM-035](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/nom-035).** NOM-035 is the STPS standard that requires identifying and preventing psychosocial risk factors at work, such as excessive workloads and long workdays. **[What is the contribution base salary (SBC)](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/salario-base-de-cotizacion-sbc).** The contribution base salary is the salary used to calculate IMSS contributions and INFONAVIT contributions. ## Frequently asked questions ### What about 24-hour shifts? They clash with this limit. Review those arrangements with a labor lawyer. ### Is the maximum workday per day or per week? There are two limits: a daily one, which did not change, and a weekly one, which drops from 48 to 40 hours between 2027 and 2030. ### 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. ## Legal basis and sources - 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 [ Hours and workday **Overtime: maximum 4 per day and on 4 days per week**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/maximo-horas-extra-por-dia) [ Hours and workday **Working-time record for remote work and home office**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/registro-de-jornada-en-trabajo-remoto) [ Hours and workday **Working-time record for field staff**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/registro-de-jornada-para-personal-en-campo) [ 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=limite-12-horas-diarias&utm_content=final)