Why is Mexico the 2nd Best Country in Central America for Remote Work?
The Global Remote Work Index (GRWI) by NordLayer concludes that Mexico is the second-best country in Central America for remote work. But how was this result calculated? NordLayer analyzes 108 countries in the global remote work index, focusing on four different criteria to reach their verdict:
- Cybersecurity levels: Wifi infrastructure, cyberattack responsiveness, and legal measures available to online fraud victims.
- Economic security: Political stability, healthcare, cost of living, tourism appeal, and English proficiency (an international language in business) are key aspects for determining whether a country is suitable for remote work.
- Digital and physical infrastructure: Ensuring the quality and stability of internet networks, as well as digital and physical infrastructure, are essential for remote workers to fulfill their tasks without interruptions.
- Social protection capacity: Guaranteeing individual and collective rights, as well as inclusivity, is essential to rank high.
After thoroughly analyzing these four criteria, NordLayer has concluded that Mexico is the second-best country in Central America for remote work and ranks 62nd globally.
Mexico’s rankings are as follows:
- Mexican Social Security ranks 65th.
- The country’s inclusion levels rank 61st.
- In cybersecurity, Mexico ranks 66th.
- Digital and physical infrastructure ranks Mexico at 46th.
- Economic security places it at 63rd.
- Legal measures available rank Mexico at 23rd.
- Affordability of living costs ranks Mexico at 38th.
A Challenging Change in Corporate Culture
Despite all the benefits of remote work, Mexico remains predominantly in-person. The in-person rate stands at 31%, while the rest is mostly split across various hybrid work models. Although there has been a slight increase after the pandemic, remote work in Mexico remains below 10%.
Mexico not only has one of the longest working hours in the world but also a business culture strongly tied to in-person work. This has led many companies to return to the 2019 model, with a certain margin of flexibility provided by hybrid work. The most common option after the in-person model is one to two days of remote work.
The approval of the Mexican Official Standard 037, popularly known as the Home Office Law, may also have tipped the scales toward the hybrid format, as the standard requires companies to make an additional investment in equipment for remote workers.
Latin America Opts for Three Days in the Office
The hybrid model has been the big winner post-pandemic, proving to be a good balance between the flexibility of remote work and the commitment and team cohesion of the in-person model.
Globally, Latin America has mostly opted for mixed workdays, with a model of three days in the office and two at home, comprising 71% of the labor market. The fully in-person and fully remote models have become minority schemes.
Remote work has become essential. The flexibility to balance family life and personal needs with work is no longer a minor issue for employees. Given this, fully in-person models will find it very challenging to stay relevant, and sooner or later, they will have to shift, at least minimally, toward a hybrid model.
