Brazil Promulgates Constitutional Change Ending Six-Day Workweek
Brazil's Congress promulgated a constitutional amendment on Friday, October 16, 2026, ending the country's common six-days-on, one-day-off (6x1) work schedule and establishing a five-day workweek. The Senate approved the amendment by 75 votes to 1 on October 14, after the Chamber of Deputies passed it in May.
Under the new rules, about 60 days after promulgation most employers must adopt a 5x2 schedule and the statutory weekly cap falls to 42 hours, with a final reduction to 40 hours 12 months later — a 14-month transition. The amendment guarantees two paid days off per week without pay cuts and preserves an eight-hour daily ceiling.
The government estimates more than 37 million formal-sector workers could benefit; union-linked estimates range from about 22 million to 26.8 million. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the change a historic victory for workers on X. Business groups warn the rule could raise per-hour labour costs by up to 22 percent. The reform comes ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff, in which Lula faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who reversed his earlier opposition and voted for the amendment. (GSM, based on Reuters reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 巴西利亚国家大教堂夜景。 Photo by Steve Evans from Citizen of the World, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
