International Employment

Mexico’s 12 Percent Wage Hike Comes Into Effect January 1, 2025

The right to a minimum wage sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers is enshrined in the Mexican Constitution. Minimum wages in the country are set on a daily basis, ensuring workers receive a set amount for each day worked. On January 1, 2025, the Mexican minimum wage, which is set by the National Minimum Wage Commission (Comisión Nacional de los Salarios Mínimos or CONASAMI), received a considerable 12 percent increase nationwide.

With this increase, the nationwide minimum wage is now MXN $278.80 per day (or approximately USD $13.76) and the minimum wage for the Free Zone of the Northern Border (Zona Libre de la Frontera Norte or ZLFN), the area along the northern border of Mexico, which encompasses the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, is now MXN $419.88 per day (or approximately USD $20.72). The 12 percent increase will also apply to workers in 61 professions and trades who are entitled to special professional minimum wage. Specific professions impacted include construction workers, cashiers, agricultural laborers, domestic workers, and masons and bulldozer operators.

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Extreme Vetting at U.S. Embassies and Consulates

Executive Order “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” directs federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State, to re-establish enhanced vetting and screening processes for foreign nationals seeking a visa or immigration benefit of any kind. Agencies are to vet and screen visa applicants to the maximum degree possible, particularly foreign nationals applying and arriving from nations with identified security risks. It is expected that additional vetting and screening requirements will only add to increased wait times for visa clearances at U.S. embassies and consulates. The order further directs the administration to begin the process of restoring a potential travel ban within 60 days.

To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.

Digitalizing the UK Immigration System: eVisas

All individuals currently holding a UK Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) are invited to create a UK Visas and Immigration eVisa account, as BRPs will cease to be an accepted method of proving UK immigration status from March 31, 2025. We provide instructions for setting up and tips for managing your eVisa account.

To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.

UK Government Plans to Introduce the ‘Right to Switch Off’

The UK government has recently indicated that it intends to introduce the “right to switch off” for workers. This follows a global trend of similar legislation in other jurisdictions. As outlined in our earlier post on LaborSphere, a similar right has recently taken effect in Australia and is already standard in many European countries.

In its “Plan to Make Work Pay,” the government states that it intends to follow models such as those that are already in place in Ireland and Belgium, “giving workers and employers the opportunity to have constructive conversations and work together on bespoke workplace policies or contractual terms that benefit both parties.”

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New UK Government Proposes Employment Legislation

After winning the general election last month, the new UK government has started to focus on the implementation of its manifesto pledges. The King’s Speech, which took place on 17 July 2024, sets out the legislative agenda for the new government. Our team dives into the two pieces of proposed employment legislation that were announced in the speech, along with two other developments in the UK employment landscape.

For the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.

Australia Set to Join Growing List of Countries Recognizing “Right to Disconnect” From the Workplace

The Law

Under amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009, employees in Australia are being given a new “right to disconnect” from the workplace outside of normal working hours. Under the new law, employees may refuse contact, including refusing to monitor, read or respond to contact from the employer or a third party outside of working hours unless the refusal would be “unreasonable.”

While “contact” is not defined in the legislation, it is likely to include any form of contact including email, text or social media messages (e.g., WhatsApp) and phone calls.

The law contains a nonexhaustive list of factors that should be considered when determining whether an employee’s refusal is “unreasonable,” including:

The reason for the contact
Whether the employee is compensated or paid extra for being available to be contacted to perform work within a specific period or working additional hours outside of their ordinary working hours
The nature of the employee’s role and level of his or her responsibility
The employee’s personal situation such as family or caring responsibilities

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