Brazil's Senate approves shorter workweek, ending six-day shifts

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Brazil's Senate voted 75-1 on Wednesday to approve a constitutional amendment that cuts the maximum legal workweek from 44 hours to 40, ending the practice of six straight workdays followed by one day off. The measure, championed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is the first major change to working hours since the 1988 Constitution set the 44-hour limit.

The amendment guarantees at least two days off per week and phases in the reduction: 42 hours within 60 days of promulgation, then 40 hours a year later. It covers an estimated 37 million formal-sector workers and preserves their salaries. Business groups warn of higher labor costs and inflation, while Lula hopes the populist measure helps him in the October 25 presidential runoff against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

Why it matters

Brazil's 1988 constitution capped the workweek at 44 hours; this amendment promises 37 million workers a shorter week with no pay cut, though employers warn of rising costs.

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Key Indicators

Senate votes in favor

Passed in two rounds with 75 votes for and 1 against, out of 77 senators present.

37 million

Workers covered

Formal-sector employees who will benefit from the shorter workweek, per government estimates.

44→40

Weekly hour limit change

Maximum legal workweek drops from 44 to 40 hours, with an intermediate 42-hour step after 60 days.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

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People Involved

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President of Brazil and presidential candidate

Seeking a fourth non-consecutive term in October 25 runoff

Flavio Bolsonaro

Senator and Lula's runoff opponent

Voted in favor of the amendment despite prior opposition from his party

Davi Alcolumbre

President of the Senate

Fast-tracked the vote ahead of the runoff

Reginaldo Lopes

Federal deputy and author of the amendment

Workers' Party deputy from Minas Gerais

Organizations Involved

Brazilian Senate

Upper house of the National Congress

Approved the constitutional amendment in two rounds

The Brazilian Senate passed the workweek amendment with near-unanimous support, forwarding it for promulgation.

Chamber of Deputies

Lower house of the National Congress

Passed the same text in May 2026

The Chamber approved the identical amendment text earlier this year, allowing the Senate to promulgate without another lower-house vote.

National Confederation of Commerce (CNC)

Business association

Opposed to the amendment, warns of cost increases

The CNC represents retail and services employers and has publicly warned of inflationary effects from the shorter workweek.

Timeline

October 1988 October 2026

4 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Senate approves workweek amendment
Latest Legislative

Senate passes the amendment 75-1 in two rounds, sending it to promulgation.
Yesterday
May 2026
Lower house approves amendment
Legislative

Chamber of Deputies passes PEC 221/2019 with broad support.
May 2026
2019
PEC 221/2019 introduced
Legislative

Deputy Reginaldo Lopes files a constitutional amendment to reduce the workweek to 40 hours and end the 6x1 schedule.
2019
October 1988
Constitution sets 44-hour workweek
Legal

Brazil's new constitution caps weekly working hours at 44, with one mandatory rest day.
October 5th, 1988

Scenarios

Brazil implements 40-hour workweek as scheduled

Likely Resolves by Oct 15, 2027

Discussed by: Government officials, Workers' Party legislators, labor unions

The amendment is promulgated within days, the 42-hour cap and two rest days take effect in December 2026, and the 40-hour limit is fully in place by October 2027. The government celebrates the measure as a landmark, and no major legal challenges materialize.

Court challenge delays or blocks parts of the amendment

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Business groups (CNC), conservative legal scholars

Employer organizations file lawsuits arguing the amendment violates free-enterprise provisions or the presidential veto presentment clause, seeking injunctions against the two-days-off rule or the no-salary-cut stipulation. The Supreme Court takes up the case, potentially pausing implementation for sectors or indefinitely.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2000-2002

France's 35-hour workweek (2000)

France passed a law reducing the standard full-time workweek from 39 to 35 hours, affecting about 15 million workers. The measure took effect gradually, with companies given flexibility through overtime agreements.

Then

The reform created hundreds of thousands of jobs, but labor costs rose and overtime became nearly as common as in a 39-hour system.

Now

The policy was partially loosened in 2008 to allow more overtime, yet the 35-hour norm remains a defining element of French labor law and continues to be debated politically.

Why this matters now

France's experience shows that statutory workweek reductions can boost hiring but also spark cost-push inflation and regulatory battles, a parallel to the criticisms Brazilian employers are making now.

1938

U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (1938)

President Franklin Roosevelt signed the FLSA, establishing a national minimum wage, overtime pay for hours over 40 per week, and the 40-hour workweek standard. It applied initially to about 12 million workers in interstate commerce.

Then

Businesses faced higher labor costs, but productivity gains and mass mobilization during World War II embedded the 40-hour standard.

Now

The 40-hour week became the American norm, enabling weekends as a fixed feature of working life and serving as a model for labor-rights movements worldwide.

Why this matters now

The FLSA's establishment of the 40-hour cap is the historical benchmark against which Brazil's change is often measured, though Brazil adds two mandatory rest days—a step beyond the U.S. model.