By industry · 4 min read
Time clock for auto repair shops: working-time record without devices
Short answer
An auto repair shop can meet the electronic working-time record requirement with a QR code printed and posted on site, which each person scans with their phone. The law requires recording each person's start and end time; it does not require a wall-mounted time clock.
How work happens at an auto repair shop
An auto repair shop has mechanics, body repair workers, helpers and reception, with day shifts, Saturdays and jobs that run long. That creates three challenges for measuring working time:
- An urgent job makes everyone stay.
- Helpers come and go.
- The shop rarely keeps any control.
What the law requires of auto repair shops
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 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.
How to record working time at an auto repair shop
- 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. When a car has to be delivered that day, the team stays. The record documents how long.
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 an auto repair shop
- Keeping attendance from memory or in a notebook.
- Recording the clock-in and forgetting the clock-out.
- Covering peaks only with overtime, until exceeding the weekly cap.
What to check every day and every week
Every day.
- Who did not record their clock-in or clock-out.
- Departures later than planned.
Every week.
- Each person's overtime against the weekly cap.
- 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 $400 on a day shift. The ordinary hourly rate is $50. One overtime hour at double time costs $100 and one at triple time, $150. If a person works 9 overtime hours in a week in 2027, that is $900 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
IMSS contributions: what they are and who pays them. Employer-employee contributions are the payments to the IMSS that fund social security.
What is attendance control. Attendance control is any means of knowing who came to work and at what time.
Day shift: schedule and maximum length. The day shift is the one worked between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Frequently asked questions
Does an auto repair shop 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.
Can I ask for more overtime in peak season?
The weekly cap is not extended for the season. It helps to plan relief staff.
Is the reform already in force?
Yes. The reform to the Federal Labor Law took effect on May 1, 2026. The reduction in working hours starts on January 1, 2027.
Who monitors compliance?
The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, through inspections.
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.