New labor law proposals expand employee leave and breastfeeding rights

At a glance

• New bills propose expanded paid leave and breastfeeding rights for employees in Mexico.

• A bill proposes granting a monthly two-hour paid leave to guardians of persons with disabilities for medical or school-related appointments.
• Another bill seeks to introduce a non-waivable five-day paid leave for employees upon the death of close family members.
• A third bill aims to extend breastfeeding breaks from 30 minutes to one hour twice daily and mandates specific workplace facilities.
• Employers would be obliged to comply with these new provisions, with penalties for non-compliance regarding breastfeeding support.
• All three proposals are currently under review by the relevant committees in the Chamber of Deputies or Senate.

On August, 6, 2025, three separate bills were introduced to amend Mexico’s Federal Labor Law, each aiming to enhance employee rights.

All three proposals are currently under committee review. If enacted, these changes would impose new obligations on employers and expand employee entitlements.

Monthly paid leave for guardians

A bill by Deputy Petra Romero Gómez proposes a two-hour paid leave each month for parents or legal guardians of persons with disabilities. This leave would support attendance at medical appointments, therapies, or essential school activities. Employees must provide supporting documentation from the relevant institution.

Bereavement leave

Deputy Brígido Ramiro Moreno Hernández introduced a bill to grant five days of non-waivable paid leave in the event of the death of a family member in the first or second degree of consanguinity, or first degree of affinity.

Breastfeeding support

Senator Rafael Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas and others proposed extending the two daily breastfeeding breaks from 30 minutes to one hour. The bill also mandates specific features for designated breastfeeding areas (eg ergonomic chairs, clean surfaces, power outlets) and introduces fines for non-compliance.