--- title: "Vacation premium: how much it is and when it is paid · Sicheca" description: "What the vacation premium is, its legal minimum and an example calculation." url: https://sicheca.com/en/blog/prima-vacacional lang: en alternate_es: https://sicheca.com/blog/prima-vacacional.md --- Glossary · 3 min read # Vacation premium: how much it is and when it is paid Short answer The vacation premium is an additional payment of at least 25% on the salary for vacation days. It is in Article 80 of the Federal Labor Law. ## Example With $400 per day and 12 vacation days: 12 × 400 × 25% = $1,200. ## How to do the math by hand With 3 years of seniority, 16 days are owed. With $400 per day: 16 × 400 = $6,400 of vacation pay and 6,400 × 25% = $1,600 of vacation premium. ## When it is paid When the vacation is taken or, if the employment relationship ends, in the proportional part within the final settlement. ## 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 1. Confirm the current value for the year. 2. Have each person's daily salary at hand. 3. Check the days and hours worked in your record. 4. Do the math and keep it. 5. Validate it with your accountant. ## Related terms **[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. **[Minimum wage in Mexico: how much it is and how it is used](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/salario-minimo-en-mexico).** The minimum wage is the least a person can receive for a workday. **[Mixed shift: what it is and how long it lasts](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/jornada-mixta).** A mixed shift combines day and night hours, as long as the night hours are less than three and a half. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can it be higher than 25%? Yes. The 25% is the minimum; the contract can improve on it. ### 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. ### Are the amounts gross or net? Gross. They do not account for taxes or social security contributions. ## Legal basis and sources - Benefits: articles 76 to 80, 87 and 117 to 131 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 [ Glossary **Aguinaldo: how much it is and how it is calculated**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/aguinaldo) [ Glossary **Vacations by law: how many days are owed**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/vacaciones-por-ley) [ Glossary **Mandatory rest days in Mexico**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/dias-de-descanso-obligatorio) [ Glossary **What the UMA is and how much it is worth**](https://sicheca.com/en/blog/que-es-la-uma-y-cuanto-vale) [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=prima-vacacional&utm_content=final)