Time is on a diet; let's take it to the gym

They no longer want to be treated as operational filler or as bargaining chips in labor negotiations. The staff are tired of propping up stagnant structures, of masking inefficiencies with job security. And I understand them.

I’ve spent years working in the supply chain , where every minute counts, every decision has consequences, and every mistake has ripple effects. I learned that time isn’t managed, it’s designed. It’s not about having more hours, but about knowing what to do with them. And now, with the proposal to reduce the workweek to 40 hours, that truth has become urgent.

Faced with imminent change, we must first understand that Mexico is one of the countries with the longest working hours per year, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) . More than 2,100 hours per person. But it is also one of the least productive . This isn’t a contradiction if we think about it carefully; it’s a sign. Something isn’t working, and it won’t be fixed with more time, but with a better strategy.

Reducing working hours isn’t just a legal adjustment. Now it needs to be approached as a profound reconfiguration. In logistics, when cargo space is reduced, merchandise isn’t eliminated: packaging is optimized, routes are redesigned, and essential items are prioritized . With this same process, it’s even better if we focus on time. Fewer hours don’t mean fewer results; they mean smarter decisions.

I know this presents a challenge for many companies: costs, reorganization, fear of losing competitiveness and profitability. However, from another perspective, it’s an opportunity to review what truly generates value. Are we measuring productivity or simply presence? Are we rewarding impact or burnout?

A Stanford study made it clear: after 50 hours a week, productivity plummets . And after 55, it simply collapses. I’ve seen it in teams that burn out without making progress, in processes that are pointlessly repeated, in metrics that celebrate effort but ignore results.

Efficiency isn’t measured by the clock. It’s about intention. For this particular sector, every minute counts; however, not all minutes are created equal. A key point is knowing which minutes multiply value and which ones simply consume energy.

Reducing the workday won’t be profitable if we continue to measure productivity by time spent at work. It’s time to redesign the logistics of time management. To stop thinking of hours as blocks to be filled, and start seeing them as units to be invested. Because in this new economy, every hour must be an investment, not an expense.

Yes, the hours are on a diet; but the important thing is to take them to the gym, replace fat with muscle, modify their “nutrition,” and increase their energy. To achieve this, we can’t just work the same way and think everything will be different. We have to execute differently : eliminate repetitive activities, train our teams, and invest in tools that make our employees more efficient and less worn out. It’s not about changing a machine; it’s about keeping it well-oiled.

The authorities will likely drive this transformation, but the real question is: what are you doing to make every hour count?