Compliance

Mexico Updates Vacation Law: What “Vacaciones Dignas” Means for You

Jan 5th, 2023

On December 27th, 2022, the Mexican President, Andrės Manuel Lopez Obrader, signed a bill into the Official Gazette of the Federation mandating an increase to the number of vacation days that all Mexican workers in the private sector receive to at least 12 days of vacation time after 1 year of continuous service.

The Mexican Senate first approved this new legislation on November 3rd, 2023, but it took a month for it to officially become part of the Federal Labour Law.

What is Vacaciones Dignas?

This new law, known as Vacaciones Dignas, changes Articles 76 and 78 of the Federal Labour Law by giving private sector workers more vacation days. The number of vacation days increases with each year of continuous employment.

Previously, the minimum number of vacation days for private sector employees in Mexico was 6. The new law doubles the minimum number of vacation days.

Why the change?

This legislation was first introduced in April, 2022 by the Movimiento Ciudadano Party. The group advocated for more vacation time, since Mexican labor laws required the lowest number of paid vacation days in Latin America. Many activists see this change as a significant improvement for human and labor rights in the country.

After evaluating the situation, the Mexican Senate wanted to give workers in the private sector more vacation time to boost morale and align with the ever-evolving push towards human rights for workers.

This addition is the first major change to vacation time since 1970.

How does Vacaciones Dignas impact contractors?

This law does not have any impact on contractors.

How do employers calculate vacation time?

After the first year of continuous employment, full-time employees will receive 12 vacation days, as opposed to 6.

Once the first year has passed, full-time workers will receive an additional 2 days of vacation each year, for the next five years, until the employee reaches 20 days of vacation.

From the sixth year onward, the number of vacation days increases by 2 days for every 5 years of service.

Information about vacation days should always be included in the employment contract.

Years worked	Number of vacation days
1	12
2	14
3	16
4	18
5	20
6-10	22
11-15	24

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Janelle Watson

My name is Janelle Watson and I'm a Colorado native. I have a BA in English from University of Colorado Colorado Springs and an MA in English from University of Colorado Denver. Before moving to blog and copywriting, I was an English teacher for 3 years at the University of Colorado in Denver. Prior to writing for Via, I wrote reviews and content for a local concert and promotion company in Denver.

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Frequently asked questions

When does the new vacation legislation go into effect in Mexico?

The new legislation goes into effect January 1st, 2023. All employees will get 12 days after 1 year of service, instead of the previous mandatory 6 days of vacation time.

How many vacation days will workers receive under the new law?

Workers will receive 12 days off under the new law after their first year of service. Following the first year, they will receive 2 additional days for 5 years of continuous service, until they reach 20 vacation days. After the 6th year, the number of vacation days will increase by 2 days every 5 years.

How are vacation days changing in Mexico in 2023?

Vacation days are changing from 6 days to 12 days in Mexico in 2023.

How many days of vacation do I get under the new law?

Under the new law, workers in Mexico will receive at least 12 vacation days per year. They will receive an additional 2 days each year for 5 years, until they reach 20 vacation days. After the 6th year, the number of vacation days will increase by 2 days every 5 years.