Brazil ends 6‑day work week, shifting to 40‑hour schedule

A constitutional amendment (PEC) approved by Brazil's Chamber of Deputies will end the 6×1 work model—six days on, one day off—and cut the maximum weekly workweek from 44 to 40 hours without reducing wages. The bill now heads to the Senate, with a transition that reduces the week to 42 hours 60 days after enactment and to 40 hours after 14 months.

The change is expected to raise the cost of a regular worker’s hour by about 22%, prompting firms in commerce, hospitality and retail to turn to intermittent (hourly) contracts to cover the new days off. Bars, restaurants, supermarkets and tourism businesses are identified as the sectors most likely to adopt this model.

Agribusiness leaders warn that the reduced schedule could exacerbate Brazil’s existing agricultural labor shortage. One large meat‑packing firm with roughly 51,000 employees would need to hire about 10,000 extra workers to maintain current output under the new limits. Critics argue the higher labor costs could feed into inflation and reduce the sector’s international competitiveness, while proponents stress the need for flexible, higher‑skill employment as automation expands.