By industry · 5 min read
Electronic working-time record for bars and nightclubs
Short answer
A bar can comply with the electronic working-time record with a QR code printed on the premises, which each person scans with their phone. The law asks for recording each person's start and end times; it does not ask for a wall-mounted time clock.
How work is done at a bar
A bar employs bartenders, waiters, security staff and cashiers, with night shifts from Thursday to Sunday that end in the early morning. That brings three challenges for measuring working time:
- Almost the entire workday is at night.
- Closing times stretch depending on the crowd.
- There is temporary staff on weekends.
What the law asks of bars and nightclubs
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.
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.
Work peaks. Overtime has a weekly cap: 9 hours at double time in 2027, with a maximum of 4 per day on no more than 4 days, and never more than 12 total hours in a day.
Hourly or temporary staff. They have the same working-hour limits and must also be recorded.
How to record working time at a bar
- Register the workplace and its shifts.
- Print the QR code and post it at the entrance or next to the register.
- Each person scans it on arrival, when leaving for a break and when going home.
- At the end of the day you review what does not add up and download the report whenever you need it.
Example. A bartender clocks in at 8:00 p.m. and out at 4:00 a.m. That is 8 hours of work on a night shift, whose maximum is 7.
Calculate your overtime
How to do the math by hand
Take a salary of $400 per day on a day shift. The ordinary hour is worth 400 ÷ 8 = $50. In 2027, with 11 overtime hours in the week, the first 9 are paid at double time (9 × $100 = $900) and the remaining 2 at triple time (2 × $150 = $300). Total: $1,200.
Common mistakes at a bar
- 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.
- Covering peaks only with overtime, until exceeding the weekly cap.
- Not recording temporary staff because they only come in for one day.
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.
- 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 $350 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $43.75. One overtime hour at double time costs $87.50 and one at triple time, $131.25. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $787.50 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 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.
Mixed shift: what it is and how long it lasts. A mixed shift combines day and night hours, as long as the night hours are less than three and a half.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bar 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 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.
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. 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.