Overview

• STPS will present a formal initiative to Congress on September 1, moving the 48-to-40-hour cut from debate into lawmaking with a focus on gradual, consensus-based implementation.
• The government’s draft roadmap reduces weekly hours by two per year from 2026 to 2030, with employers able to choose between shorter six-day schedules, five eight-hour days, or four 10-hour days.
• Concanaco says it held 47 forums nationwide and proposes subsidies to employer contributions, full payroll deductibility, tax-free overtime, hourly pay flexibility within the 40-hour cap, and a tripartite transition observatory.
• A Concanaco survey reports 67.2% of businesses reject an unconditional cut, 71.4% foresee higher operating costs, 58.85% expect staffing challenges, and 66.72% seek tax reductions to make the change viable.
• The most contentious open item is whether rest and mandated pauses count toward the 40 hours, with business groups warning about ‘effective’ time losses and officials insisting productivity need not fall.