Brazil’s Senate has voted 75 to one in favour of a constitutional amendment reducing the full-time working week from 44 to 40 hours and guaranteeing two paid days off each week. The reform moves the country away from its customary six-day working pattern. Which days employees take off will be negotiated between unions and employers, rather than fixed by the amendment. Senate President Davi Alcolumbre highlighted the significance of an additional rest day for workers facing early starts, crowded buses and daily shifts, saying it would allow more time with family.
Implementation will be phased: the weekly limit will initially fall to 42 hours, while the additional rest day will take effect 60 days after passage. A further reduction to 40 hours will follow a year later. The timetable gives employers an opportunity to reorganise schedules or recruit additional staff before the shorter week is fully introduced. The final limit will match the 40-hour working week in the United States.
The lower house passed an identical measure in May. Under Brazil’s constitutional procedures, presidential approval is therefore unnecessary. Both the incumbent president and his electoral opponent supported the amendment, with the latter attending the Senate hearing online to vote in favour just 11 days before the election’s second round. Originally introduced in 2019 as a proposal for a 34-hour week, the measure was subsequently revised to 40 hours. It represents the first legislative adjustment to working hours since 1988, when the weekly limit was reduced from 48 to 44.
