Brazil government and lawmakers debate delaying 6‑day workweek reform to 2036

The federal government is negotiating a transition plan for a constitutional amendment that would end the 6×1 work schedule, cutting the standard week from 44 to 40 hours and guaranteeing two paid rest days. proposals include a phased reduction of up to three years, with two hours cut in the first year and one hour in each of the following two years, while preserving the 12‑hour, 36‑hour schedule for sectors such as health and safety.

A separate amendment, signed by 176 deputies, seeks to postpone the reform’s entry into force until 2036. It would condition the shorter week on a complementary law, allow exemptions for essential services, and give greater weight to individual and collective agreements, permitting negotiated hours to exceed the constitutional limit by up to 30% in certain cases. The amendment also offers fiscal incentives, such as a 50% reduction in the FGTS contribution and temporary tax breaks for firms that adopt the 40‑hour week.

Both initiatives reflect ongoing tension between workers’ demand for reduced hours and business concerns about labor costs and flexibility. The proposals are expected to be debated further in Congress and the executive branch in the coming weeks.