Proposed amendment to the Federal Labor Law aims to expand employer obligations regarding sexual harassment and workplace hostility

On July 28, 2026, the Parliamentary Gazette of the Chamber of Deputies published a draft decree to amend and supplement various provisions of the Federal Labor Law (LFT) concerning the prevention, handling, investigation, and sanctioning of sexual harassment and workplace hostility. The initiative was introduced by Deputy María Teresa Ealy Díaz of the Morena Parliamentary Group on July 22, 2026, and was referred to the Committee on Labor and Social Welfare.

New obligations for employers (Article 132)

The proposal seeks to add four new subsections to Article 132 of the LFT outlining the following employer obligations:

• Workplaces with more than ten employees must have a Protocol for the Prevention, Handling, Investigation, and Sanctioning of Sexual Harassment and Workplace Hostility, in accordance with the provisions of the LFT and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS).
• Ensure that employees receive periodic training on substantive equality, human rights, and the prevention of workplace violence, sexual harassment, and workplace hostility.
• Implement confidential, accessible, and secure mechanisms for receiving and addressing reports of sexual harassment and workplace hostility.
• Adopt timely and proportionate protective measures when there is reasonable evidence of risk to the alleged victim, while preventing acts of retaliation or re-victimization.

A new mandatory Internal Committee (Article 132 Bis)

Additionally, the proposal seeks to add Article 132 Bis to the LFT, which would require workplaces with more than ten employees to establish an "Internal Committee for the Prevention, Handling, and Investigation of Sexual Harassment and Workplace Hostility." This permanent body would be responsible for promoting actions to prevent, address, investigate, and follow up on reports related to such conduct. This Committee would have the following duties:

• Promote the implementation and monitoring of the Protocol for the Prevention, Handling, Investigation, and Sanctioning of Sexual Harassment and Workplace Hostility;
• Receive and process submitted reports;
• Conduct or coordinate the corresponding investigations, ensuring the right to a hearing for all parties and adherence to due process;
• Recommend the adoption of protective measures for the alleged victim when there is evidence of a risk to their physical, psychological, or professional well-being;
• Issue appropriate recommendations and monitor compliance with measures determined by the employer, without prejudice to the powers of the competent authorities; and
• Promote ongoing training and awareness programs regarding substantive equality, the prevention of workplace violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.

The composition of this Committee, its organization, operation, member requirements, procedural actions, and other provisions necessary for the fulfillment of its functions would be established in the guidelines issued for this purpose by the STPS.

Complaint procedure and investigation timelines (Article 132 Ter)

Additionally, it is proposed to add an Article 132 Ter, which establishes that complaint procedures for sexual harassment or sexual assault must be handled through impartial, confidential, and expedited processes with a gender perspective, and that investigations must be concluded within a maximum period of 60 business days, extendable only once for up to 30 additional business days when there is a duly justified cause. It also establishes that during the procedure, the following must be guaranteed:

• The right of the parties to be heard;
• The opportunity to offer and present evidence;
• The confidentiality of information;
• The protection of the alleged victim against any form of retaliation or revictimization;
• Respect for due process;
• The issuance of a reasoned and substantiated resolution.

New prohibitions for employers (Article 133)

Furthermore, the initiative proposes adding three new subsections to Article 133 of the Federal Labor Law (LFT) with the following prohibitions for employers or their representatives:

• Committing, tolerating, covering up, or minimizing acts of sexual harassment or sexual assault.
• Taking retaliatory actions against those who file complaints or participate as witnesses.
• Obstructing internal or external investigations related to these behaviors.

Sanctions for non-compliance (Article 132 Quáter)

Regarding sanctions for failing to comply with the aforementioned obligations and prohibitions, it is proposed to add an Article 132 Quáter, which stipulates that failure to comply with said obligations will be sanctioned under the terms of Title Sixteen of the LFT, without prejudice to any corresponding civil, administrative, or criminal liabilities. This Title covers the responsibilities and sanctions applicable for non-compliance with labor standards; among them, those that could be applicable to sanction the newly proposed obligations are as follows:

• Article 994, subsection VI: From 250 to 5,000 Units of Measurement and Update (UMA), which is equivalent to a range of approximately $29,327.50 MXN to $586,550.00 MXN, for the employer who commits any discriminatory act or conduct in the workplace; or who engages in acts of sexual assault or tolerates or permits acts of sexual harassment or sexual assault against their employees.
• Article 1002: For violations of labor standards not sanctioned under Title Sixteen or any other provision of the Federal Labor Law (LFT), the offender shall be fined an amount equivalent to 50 to 5,000 times the UMA, which is approximately a range of $5,865.50 MXN to $586,550.00 MXN.

Effective date and implementation timelines

If this reform is approved and in accordance with its transitory articles, the decree would enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation; workplaces and federal public administration agencies and entities would have 180 calendar days to adapt their internal protocols and procedures, considering that the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) would issue the corresponding guidelines within 90 calendar days following the entry into force of said decree; and federal and local labor authorities would conduct periodic inspections to verify compliance with the established obligations.

How likely is it that this reform will be approved?

Although it is currently an initiative that must still follow its legislative process, we consider it highly likely to be approved (either in its current terms or with some modifications resulting from the legislative deliberation process). Let us recall that Mexico ratified in 2022 the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment, which has been in effect nationwide since July 6, 2023. This convention obliges the State, among other things, to adopt legislation requiring employers to take appropriate and commensurate measures to prevent violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment, as well as sexual harassment; these measures include adopting and implementing, in consultation with workers and their representatives, a workplace policy regarding violence and harassment, including corresponding prevention and protection measures.

Therefore, a reform to the Federal Labor Law (LFT) that aligns labor legislation with ILO Convention 190 is practically imminent. We recommend that companies and employers in general anticipate this reform and conduct diagnostic and preventive assessments of their internal protocols and processes in this area, as well as make the corresponding adjustments to align them with this potential new legal standard.

If your company needs support to design, update, or audit your protocols, training, and internal processes regarding sexual harassment and workplace bullying, the Labor and Human Capital team at RRQB can assist you throughout this process.