February 03, 2026
On January 15, 2026, a reform was published in the Federal Official Gazette, introducing amendments to various legal provisions, including the Federal Labor Law, with the aim of strengthening substantive equality and ensuring work environments free from violence and discrimination.
By way of context, substantive equality refers to the principle that all employees must enjoy equal opportunities and real, effective conditions, not only as a matter of law, but also in day-to-day practice.
Among the most significant aspects of this reform are the following:
- The concept of decent work is strengthened by expressly incorporating the obligation for work to be carried out in an environment free from violence and discrimination, with full respect for human rights.
- The principle of substantive equality between women and men is consolidated as a guiding axis of employment relations.
- An obligation is established for both employees and employers to maintain workplaces free from discrimination and any form of violence, particularly violence against women.
In this regard, the reform introduces a new obligation for employers to provide training to their personnel on the prevention and eradication of violence against women.
It is important to note that compliance with this obligation may be subject to verification as part of labor inspections, in line with the Labor Inspection Protocol with a Gender Perspective published by the Labor Ministry in March 2024. In this context, it is foreseeable that, with greater tools and regulatory support, labor inspectors will reinforce their review criteria and, as a result, the risks of fines being imposed for a potential breach may increase.
Finally, this reform implies the need for companies to review and, where appropriate, update their internal policies, training programs, and complaint-handling mechanisms to align them with this approach to substantive equality and violence prevention.
This note was prepared with the support of Gabriela Guadarrama García and Joanna Lizbeth Díaz Méndez.
The labor and employment lawyers of Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C., remain for any further comments or questions.
Sincerely,
Jorge G. de Presno Arizpe
David Puente Tostado
Luis Álvarez Cervantes