🇲🇽 Mexico · Employment & Labor
Hiring rules, employment contracts, payroll, social insurance, and EOR options.
Quick answer
Mexican employment under the Federal Labor Law sets a national minimum wage (higher in the northern border zone), a 48-hour week, an annual Christmas bonus (aguinaldo), and at least 12 days' vacation after a year (since the 2023 reform). Workers share in profits (PTU); IMSS covers social security, and dismissal without cause triggers substantial severance.
Mexico employment is governed by federal labour law, STPS oversight, social-security registration and payroll compliance. Employers should align the contract, salary, IMSS registration and immigration basis before work starts.
- STPS is the federal labour authority; employment search and matching is supported through the Servicio Nacional de Empleo and Portal del Empleo.
- Formal payroll commonly requires IMSS registration, tax withholding and wage compliance including the applicable minimum wage zone.
- Foreign-worker employment must match the INM authorization or work-permit basis.
Step-by-step
- 1
Get your terms and register with IMSS
You should have clear terms; your employer must register you with the social-security institute (IMSS) from day one.
- 2
Know your pay and hours rights
You must receive at least the minimum wage (higher in the northern border zone); the standard is 48 hours a week, with premium overtime (double, then triple).
- 3
Understand leave, aguinaldo and PTU
You get at least 12 days' vacation after a year (rising with service), a vacation premium, a 15-day Christmas bonus (aguinaldo), and a share of company profits (PTU).
- 4
Confirm social-security and Infonavit
You are covered by IMSS, and housing-fund (Infonavit) and retirement (Afore) contributions are made.
- 5
Know the severance rules
Dismissal without justified cause entitles you to constitutional severance — generally three months' pay plus 20 days per year and other amounts.
- 6
Resolve disputes at the labour court
Attempt conciliation at the Labour Conciliation Center first, then the labour court (Tribunal Laboral).
Checklist
- Clear terms + IMSS registration (day one)
- Minimum wage (national / border zone)
- 48-hour week + premium overtime
- ≥12 days' vacation + vacation premium
- Aguinaldo (15 days) + PTU profit-sharing
- Infonavit + Afore contributions
- Constitutional severance on no-cause dismissal
- Dispute route (Conciliation Center → Tribunal Laboral)
Official authorities
- STPS
Federal labour authority.
- Portal del Empleo
Official job-search and employer-matching portal.
- IMSS
Social-security institute for formal workers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the aguinaldo?
A mandatory year-end bonus of at least 15 days' wages, paid before 20 December.
What is PTU?
Profit-sharing: eligible employees receive a share of the company's taxable profits each year.
What severance applies on unfair dismissal?
Constitutional severance of three months' pay plus 20 days per year of service, along with back pay and other amounts.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.