On June 4th of this year, the Regulation of the Workers Food Assistance Law was published in the Official Federal Gazette. This Regulation contains guidelines that employers that establish food assistance programs for their workers must follow. The most important rules include the following:

  1. Employers that establish food assistance programs must have written contracts with: (i) cafeteria´s service providers; (ii) restaurants or food establishments; (iii) the issuers of vouchers, or (iv) the food providers.
  2. The employers must have the physical or electronic support evidencing that the workers received food assistance. Such support should contain at least the following: name of the worker, RFC, CURP, mode of food assistance, quantifiable amount in money and date or period of application of the assistance.
  3. If the assistance is provided through cafeteria service, restaurants or food establishments, the characteristics of a proper diet must be met and labor health and safety measures and conditions must be observed.
  4. The employer is authorized to discount from the worker the food vouchers from the days he/she did not work of the immediately prior period.
  5. If food vouchers are delivered, they must have a duration of a least 60 calendar days from their issuance and the owners and those responsible for the cafeterias, restaurants or food establishments may not receive food vouchers that have expired.

This Rule, according to its first transitory article, entered into force as of the day following its publication, except for the obligation indicated in point 5 above (the prohibition to issue vouchers with a duration of less than 60 calendar days). Such obligation will enter into force one hundred eighty calendar days following the publication of the regulation.

To obtain more information and learn more above the Workers Food Assistance Law and its new Regulation, you may consult the main webpage of the Official Federal Gazette at:

http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LAAT.pdf

http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5395249&fecha=04/06/2015, respectively.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.