Brazil’s Congress has completed approval of a constitutional amendment that will reduce the maximum weekly working time from 44 to 40 hours while preserving pay and guaranteeing two paid days of rest. With the Senate adopting the same text previously approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the measure now goes to promulgation rather than presidential sanction.¹

For labour advocates and Lula’s allies, the reform is a major social and political victory. The measure replaces a system that allowed six consecutive working days followed by one day off, and follows nearly three years of public mobilisation around the issue. Supportive coverage described it as one of the country’s most consequential labour-rights changes in decades, with government estimates suggesting more than 37 million formally employed workers could benefit.²

The timetable is gradual, though considerably faster than the longer transition sought by some employers. Two months after promulgation, the weekly ceiling will fall to 42 hours; 14 months after publication, it will reach 40 hours. Collective agreements may provide limited flexibility during the transition, while a complementary law is expected to set rules for microentrepreneurs and small businesses.¹

The Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo, or Fiesp, presents the same reform as a potentially disruptive intervention. Its president, Paulo Skaf, said the amendment would affect essential sectors including “health, education, transport, supermarkets and chemicals,” and argued those consequences must be measured responsibly.³ The group also warned of a possible shift toward informal work and higher costs for firms and consumers, while providing no quantitative estimate for either outcome.³

Thus, both sides agree the amendment will reshape formal employment. Their divide is over whether faster implementation primarily delivers overdue rest and quality-of-life gains, or creates risks that should have been addressed through a longer, more flexible transition.