By industry · 4 min read
Electronic working-time record for hardware stores
Short answer
A hardware store can comply with the electronic working-time record by combining a QR code on the premises with location-based recording for those who work outside. 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 hardware store
A hardware store employs counter salespeople, warehouse staff and drivers, with workdays from morning to afternoon and full Saturdays. That brings three challenges for measuring working time:
- Deliveries to job sites take staff out of the store.
- Saturdays are worked in full.
- The owner fills in gaps without recording.
What the law asks of hardware stores
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.
Work outside the premises. The time a person is at the company's disposal is working time, even if they are not at your facilities.
How to record working time at a hardware store
- Register the location, your team and their shifts.
- Those who work on site scan the QR code.
- Those who work offsite clock in from their phone, with the location confirmed at that moment.
- They all appear in the same report, with the place or mode of each record.
Example. Counter staff scan the code; the driver records with location when leaving to deliver.
How much is the fine for not recording
How to do the math by hand
The minimum fine is 250 × $117.31 = $29,327.50. The maximum is 5,000 × $117.31 = $586,550. If the penalty is calculated per person, with 5 people the range goes from $146,637.50 to $2,932,750.
Common mistakes at a hardware store
- Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook.
- Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out.
- Asking staff who work offsite to stop by the office just to clock in.
What to check every day and every week
Every day.
- Who did not record their clock-in or clock-out.
- Records made in unexpected places.
- Departures later than planned.
Every week.
- Each person's overtime against the weekly cap.
- 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 the Federal Labor Law (LFT). The Federal Labor Law governs the relationships between companies and workers in Mexico: working hours, salary, rest, benefits and termination.
What is a finiquito (final settlement). The finiquito is the payment of what the company owes a person when the employment relationship ends, regardless of the cause.
Aguinaldo: how much it is and how it is calculated. The aguinaldo (year-end bonus) is an annual payment of at least 15 days of salary, which must be paid before December 20.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hardware store 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.
Is staff tracked during the day?
No. The location is used only at the moment of recording.
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
- 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.