Mexico Sets New Work-from-Home Laws; Employers Must Pay for Internet and Ergonomic Chair

In the age of the internet, Mexico has become a haven for people working from home. Now, the Mexican government has set new work-from-home rules that would require employers to provide some amenities, including paying for the internet.

The new ruling was issued by Mexico's Department of Labor. It stated that employers who have employees working from home must not just pay for their internet connections, but also provide them with ergonomic chairs so they can work properly.

According to the Associated Press, the new rules also have a "right to disconnect" mandate for employees who work at least 40% of their time from remote locations. This is mainly because of complaints that remote workers have, being always reachable at home and are constantly asked by their bosses to work.

Not only that, but the Mexican Department of Labor also stated that employers are also responsible for paying for the electricity, printers, and other equipment being used by remote workers from their homes. The new rules also stated that if the employee lives in an unsafe environment, if it is not well-lit and well-ventilated, they cannot be forced to work from home.

Inspectors can also visit a remote worker's home to ensure that these conditions are met, with employees also being able to take pictures of their homes to show that it meets labor requirements. Remote workers also cannot be paid less than office workers and they can also set their working hours.

Work-from-Home Exploded in Mexico During COVID-19 Pandemic

While work-from-home already existed in Mexico before the pandemic, much like many other countries, it saw a huge rise in people doing remote work during the pandemic era where everyone was forced to work from home to avoid getting infected by COVID-19.

Now that the pandemic is over, office occupancy is now once again increasing. However, work-from-home has stayed as a trend, and the Los Angeles Times pointed out that the trend has become so big that downtown office buildings have since been converted into apartments, hospitals, and stores.

Mexican commercial real estate firm Newmark did confirm that the office market in Mexico City has already shown "slight signs of recovery" since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Mexican capital's office vacancy rate declining to 23.4% in 2023 as compared to 24.5% last year.

Some employers have since adopted a "mixed" or hybrid model for their workers, with employees only being required to come to the office for part of the week. However, these new laws regarding work-from-home are for those who spend 40% of their time working remotely.

US Citizens Moved to Mexico for Work-from-Home but Are Taking Away Office Space From Locals

However, while the work-from-home model in Mexico sounds good, it has also caused problems for local businesses as it attracted wealthy American expats. The work-from-home conditions in Mexico have been great even before the new laws came to be, and it has attracted Americans to live there.

Landlords in Mexico City have been evicting local families and businesses and are now renovating and remodeling their properties to accommodate these expats who came to live in Mexico to work from home, according to CNN.

This has resulted in higher rent prices. The older occupants tried pushing back, but they were ultimately evicted to make way for the richer American occupants.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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