By industry · 5 min read
Electronic working-time record for hostels and vacation rentals
Short answer
A hostel or vacation rental operator can comply with the electronic working-time record from each person's phone, with the location confirmed only at the moment of recording. 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 hostel or vacation rental operator
A hostel or vacation rental operator employs cleaning staff, hosts and maintenance staff, with shifts that depend on guest check-ins and check-outs. That brings three challenges for measuring working time:
- Staff move between several properties.
- Schedules change with each reservation.
- There is no office to put a device in.
What the law asks of hostels and vacation rentals
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.
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.
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 hostel or vacation rental operator
- Register your team and their shifts.
- Each person clocks in from their phone where their shift begins.
- The location is captured only when clocking in; there is no tracking during the day.
- You see in one place who has already started, who is missing and where they clocked in.
Example. Someone who cleans three apartments in a day records with location when starting at the first and when finishing at the last.
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 hostel or vacation rental operator
- Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook.
- Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out.
- Not identifying which Sundays each person worked.
- Covering peaks only with overtime, until exceeding the weekly cap.
- 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.
- 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 $380 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $47.50. One overtime hour at double time costs $95 and one at triple time, $142.50. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $855 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 contribution base salary (SBC). The contribution base salary is the salary used to calculate IMSS contributions and INFONAVIT contributions.
Overtime: what it is. Overtime is the hours worked above the ordinary workday.
What is the payroll CFDI. The payroll CFDI is the payment receipt stamped with the SAT that the company issues for each salary payment.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hostel or vacation rental operator 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 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.
Can I ask for more overtime in peak season?
The weekly cap is not extended for the season. It helps to plan relief staff.
Where do I find the official text?
In the Official Gazette of the Federation of May 1, 2026 and in the current version of the Federal Labor Law published by the Chamber of Deputies.
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.