Brazilian law (Constitution and Brazilian Labor Code – CLT) does not expressly use the term “6×1 work schedule,” but it establishes a clear limit: an employee may work up to 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week. Based on this, the market created a schedule in which people work six consecutive days to be entitled to only one day off. This format is extremely common in retail, supermarkets, telemarketing, restaurants, and hospitals.
The current discussion revolves around the exhaustion of this model. Driven by a popular movement on social media called “Life Beyond Work” (VAT) — conceived by former clerk and current councilman Rick Azevedo — millions of Brazilians have begun to demand an end to this schedule. The central argument is that the modern model destroys workers’ physical and mental health, preventing family life, adequate rest, and professional training.
At present, the most widely debated initiative aimed at making this a reality is Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) No. 8/2025, submitted to the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies on February 25, 2025, authored by Representative Erika Hilton and other members of Congress. The proposal seeks to amend item XIII of Article 7 of the Brazilian Federal Constitution to change the constitutional framework governing working hours in Brazil. In summary, the proposal provides for:
- A reduction of the maximum weekly working hours to 36 hours, while maintaining the daily limit of 8 hours;
- The adoption of a four-day workweek with three days of rest (4×3 model), effectively eliminating the traditional 6×1 work schedule commonly applied in several sectors;
- The continued possibility of working-time compensation and reduced working hours through collective bargaining agreements or collective bargaining conventions, provided that the new constitutional limits are observed.
The PEC was proposed because working hours are expressly established in the Brazilian Constitution and, therefore, any change to this framework requires a constitutional amendment. In addition, under Theme 1046 of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), collective bargaining agreements negotiated between unions and companies may prevail over ordinary labor legislation. As a result, if the end of the 6×1 work schedule were approved solely through an ordinary law, companies could pressure unions to enter into agreements maintaining the 44-hour workweek. By incorporating this change directly into the Constitution, the proposal seeks to prevent such outcomes and provide stronger legal protection to the new rule.
However, the current change is causing a major division, becoming a controversial issue. On the workers’ side, the argument is based on health and dignity; supporters of the bill point out that working less does not mean earning less. The employers’ side, on the other hand, fears serious financial impacts, arguing that by giving more time off without reducing wages, they will need to hire many more people to cover the shifts.
President Lula’s administration has chosen this agenda as one of its top priorities for the year. Fearing the natural slowness of a PEC, the administration is threatening to send a bill with “constitutional urgency” to Congress right after Carnival. This mechanism forces representatives to vote on the bill within a maximum of 45 days; otherwise, the entire House agenda is blocked.
The Speaker of the House, Representative Hugo Motta, has taken a stance of not accepting the government’s accelerated imposition. He prefers that Congress maintain control and take advantage of the legal certainty of a PEC. Motta predicts that the issue will be debated with maturity and voted on in plenary by May 2026, crowning its approval in the month that Labor Day is celebrated.
In summary, a paradigm shift regarding working hours has become inevitable in Brazil. It now remains to be seen how lawmakers and the government will balance workers’ vital right to rest with the financial health of companies in the coming months.
