The Chamber of Deputies of the Brazilian Parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that aims to establish a 40-hour work week in the country while maintaining a five-day work schedule. This was reported by the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
Essence of the regulation and social impact The initiative has been officially supported by the country's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The legislative change abolishes the currently existing sixth working day and establishes two consecutive days off per week. According to preliminary estimates, the reform guarantees the preservation of the current wage level for at least 37 million workers.
Currently, Brazilian legislation stipulates a 44-hour work week, which includes five eight-hour shifts and four hours of work on the sixth day of the week.
According to a statement by government representative and deputy Paulo Pimenta in the lower house, this change is aimed at ensuring fair working conditions for low-paid workers employed six days a week.
Transition period and regional trends Considering the resistance from business circles, the bill establishes a 14-month transition period for enterprises to adapt, although employer associations demanded longer terms. The document has already been sent to the Senate, where the exact deadlines for discussion have not yet been set.
This policy of reducing working hours aligns with the overall regional trend in Latin America. Earlier, Mexico approved a gradual reduction of the work norm to 40 hours by 2030, while Chile adopted the corresponding law back in 2023.
