Mexico’s official standard on psychosocial risk at work, NOM-035-STPS-2018, defines a favorable organizational environment. Section 4.6 describes it as one where “se promueve el sentido de pertenencia de los trabajadores a la empresa” (the workers’ sense of belonging to the company is promoted). The definition then names training for the tasks, precise responsibilities, participation and communication among workers, a fair distribution of workloads, and the evaluation and recognition of performance.
Reasons to Stay
In July 2023, Capterra México surveyed employees in Mexico. Among those with no plans to leave their company, 37 percent named a good work environment. The study described this as “una buena relación con sus compañeros de trabajo” (a good relationship with one’s coworkers). Work-life balance, at 42 percent, and salary, at 38 percent, ranked higher. The newspaper Vanguardia reported the results in September 2023.
Cooperacha
Cooperacha is the Mexican word for money pooled among friends, relatives or coworkers to buy drinks, snacks and other things for a party. In 2020, Los40 México called it a “cooperación aparentemente voluntaria” (an apparently voluntary contribution). The article lists it among the words of the office world.
Putting On the Shirt
Ponerse la camiseta, “to put on the shirt,” means to commit to a team. The sports newspaper Récord explains that “ponerse la camiseta implica ser parte de” a team, and that a player merges with the goals of the team. The phrase is also used at work.
In August 2025, Publimetro quoted a training specialist at the human resources firm Hooman, who said that “70% de los empleados del país ya no se ponen la camiseta de la empresa” (70 percent of the country’s employees no longer put on the company’s shirt).
The Office Posada
Mexican offices hold Christmas parties called posadas. A column in Excélsior describes these office posadas as events held “cada 365 días para dar gracias por un año más de jale” (every 365 days to give thanks for another year of work).
In 2017, a business consultant quoted by Expansión explained why such parties matter. “Al convivir con colaboradores y directivos, se pueden reforzar los lazos comunicativos” (When staff and managers spend time together, the bonds of communication can grow stronger).
Bonds at Work
In February 2026, the job site OCC surveyed 2,930 workers in Mexico for its Termómetro Laboral. “Un 59% de los participantes indicó que sí ha generado vínculos con alguien de su espacio de trabajo” (59 percent of participants said they had formed a bond with someone at work). Of these, 29 percent had formed a close friendship. Seventy-one percent said that a friendship with the boss is possible without harm to the work.
Forty-one percent had formed no bond at work.