Brazil labor court rulings 2026

In mid‑July 2026 Brazil’s 65th Labor Court in São Paulo dismissed a Ministry of Labor claim that ESPN Brazil had engaged in fraudulent "pejotização" of its on‑air staff, affirming the independence of the contracts and rejecting collective moral damages. In the same decision, a separate case upheld a ruling granting an autistic web developer full telework and a reduced workweek with full pay, citing constitutional and disability‑rights protections.

By the end of July, another labor tribunal (2ª Vara do Trabalho de Barueri) confirmed the just‑cause dismissal of an office assistant who placed online bets during work hours and publicised the winnings. The court applied CLT article 482, emphasizing breach of internal rules, while noting broader concerns about gambling’s impact on productivity in Brazilian firms.

Together, the rulings illustrate Brazilian labor courts addressing a range of employment disputes in 2026—from contract classification and disability accommodations to conduct‑related terminations—while generally upholding employer actions when justified under existing labor legislation.