(Expansion) – Who would like to have more vacations? If you thought “me”, your dream is likely to come true.
Tomorrow, September 27, they will discuss an opinion to reform the Federal Labor Law (LFT) in order to extend the minimum paid vacation period for workers by up to six days.
This discussion is very important for our country, after the United States. In Mexico, formal workers are guaranteed six days of vacation after the first year. To those days should be added another seven holidays in which work is not done, which gives a total of 13 days.
This number is very low compared to Costa Rica (21 days) or Chile (30 days), which are countries similar to ours. And neither compare us with Europeans such as Austria or France, where 38 and 36 days are granted respectively.
There are studies that show that vacations raise the allow This as a whole can increase the productivity of organizations. However, it seems that the effect is not linear.
One study found that vacation benefits tend to wane two to four weeks later. This implies that to increase the well-being of the employees, it is better to have frequent disconnections, instead of a single long period during the year.
It seems to me that the conclusion of this study is relevant for Mexico, where we work too much. In 2021, an average Mexican worked 2,128 hours in the year. This figure is higher than that registered for a Costa Rican (2,073) or a Chilean (1,916).
In part, I believe that these figures reflect a mistaken paradigm that influences the world of work: the more time worked, the greater productivity. Will be? Although Mexico is the country where most work is done, its
It is time to break with this retrograde idea and rethink the way we see work and rest. It is necessary to jump to ways of measuring productivity based on results, as well as prioritizing the well-being of employees. Having more vacation time is a first step.
However, let us not forget that, even if this reform is approved, vacations will continue to be a privilege since they are only guaranteed for half of the workers, who are in formality. The other half will continue at the expense of your employer. Changing this inequality is a much deeper debate that urges us, but it continues to be postponed.
Editor’s note: Fátima Masse is Director of the IMCO’s Inclusive Society. Follow her on Twitter as . The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author.
