The federal government paid employees 40.7 billion pesos (US $2 billion) in punctuality bonuses between 2012 and 2017, responses to freedom of information requests show.

The newspaper El Universal determined that officials who work in 40 secretariats, the federal Congress, autonomous government-affiliated organizations and public universities received the extra payments for consistently arriving at work on time.

The annual peso-figure payout for the benefit peaked last year at just under 9 billion pesos (US $449 million).

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and the State Workers’ Social Security Institute (ISSTE) have paid out the largest amounts.

IMSS, which pays bonuses to punctual workers twice monthly, is by far the most generous provider of the benefit, rewarding its employees with an additional 30.8 billion pesos (US $1.5 billion) during the five-year period coinciding with the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto.

The CFE has paid out 5.5 billion pesos (US $274.5 million) in punctuality bonuses during the same period.

Among the other departments that reward their employees for showing up on time and/or having clean slates in terms of absenteeism are the secretariats of Labor and Social Welfare, Economy, Public Education and the Navy along with the federal consumer protection agency (Profeco).

The Secretariat of the Interior, the Bank of México, the National Human Rights Commission and the Office of the President all told El Universal that they don’t pay the bonuses.

President-elect López Obrador, who takes office on December 1, has said that punctuality bonuses and other benefits currently paid to federal officials will be cut as part of his government’s austerity push.

Source: El Universal (sp)