Brazil Senate Approves Constitutional Amendment Cutting Workweek To 40 Hours
The reform will end the six-day schedule for tens of millions of workers by mandating two rest days each week without reducing salaries.
Brazil’s Federal Senate approved a constitutional amendment on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, cutting the maximum workweek from 44 to 40 hours without salary reductions.
The Senate passed the measure in two consecutive voting rounds by a 75-to-1 margin, easily clearing the required 49 votes. Senate rapporteur Omar Aziz rejected all 36 proposed amendments to preserve the text passed by the Chamber of Deputies in May.
The amendment ends the prevalent six-day work schedule by guaranteeing workers two rest days each week, preferably including Sunday.
The change will directly affect more than 30 million formal employees, including 16 million people working six-day weeks. The government estimated that as many as 37 million workers could benefit, though informal and gig-economy workers remain exempt. The reform will most heavily impact workers in retail, hotels, and restaurants.
The initiative originated from a social-media movement called Life Beyond Work, which was founded by a former pharmacy assistant. Separate polls by Quaest and Datafolha in 2026 found that about 70 percent of Brazilians supported reducing working hours without wage cuts.
Business and employer associations strongly objected to the amendment. They argued that shorter hours without wage reductions will increase operating and payroll costs.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the reform allows workers to rest, spend time with family, and enjoy life. Lula stated that the opposition Liberal Party supported the reform due to public pressure and street demonstrations.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who leads Lula ahead of an Oct. 25 presidential runoff, reversed his stance on Oct. 13. He voted in favor, stating that workers wanted the change, but noted that the government must offset financial impacts on businesses. He also told business leaders that the incoming Congress could review the law in February.
Senate President Davi Alcolumbre said an additional rest day will positively impact working-class citizens facing long commutes. The amendment follows similar workweek reductions enacted in Chile and Colombia, along with a phased 40-hour reform approved in Mexico.
Congress will formally promulgate the amendment directly because both legislative chambers approved an identical text. The statutory cap will drop to 42 hours 60 days after promulgation, before reaching 40 hours 14 months after promulgation. None of the operational changes will take effect before the Oct. 25 runoff election.
