Glossary · 3 min read
Vacations by law: how many days are owed
Short answer
After one year of work, 12 vacation days apply. They increase by two days per year until reaching 20 in the fifth year, and then by two more days for every five years.
| Years of seniority | Vacation |
|---|---|
| 1 | 12 days |
| 2 | 14 days |
| 3 | 16 days |
| 4 | 18 days |
| 5 | 20 days |
| 6 to 10 | 22 days |
| 11 to 15 | 24 days |
| 16 to 20 | 26 days |
| 21 to 25 | 28 days |
| 26 to 30 | 30 days |
Article 76 of the LFT.
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.
How vacation is taken
At least 12 continuous days, unless the worker decides to split them.
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
- Confirm the current value for the year.
- Have each person's daily salary at hand.
- Check the days and hours worked in your record.
- Do the math and keep it.
- Validate it with your accountant.
Related terms
Sunday premium: what it is and how it is calculated. The Sunday premium is an additional payment of at least 25% on the salary of an ordinary day for anyone who works on Sunday.
What the STPS is and what it does. The STPS is the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
What is a labor severance payment (liquidación). The liquidación is what is paid when the company ends the employment relationship without just cause.
Frequently asked questions
Can it be paid instead of taken?
Not while the employment relationship lasts. Vacation is for resting.
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.
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.
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. 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.