Congress Promulgates Constitutional Amendment Reducing Workweek to 40 Hours as Labor Ministry Details Rules
“Fim da escala 6x1: O que fazer se a empresa não respeitar a nova jornada? Veja como denunciar”
Forensic Headline Assessment: The original headline used a service-guide format. The neutralized headline focuses on the legislative enactment and administrative oversight rules.
The National Congress has promulgated a Constitutional Amendment reducing the maximum workweek in Brazil from 44 to 40 hours and guaranteeing two paid days off per week. The amendment to Article 7 of the Federal Constitution will be implemented in two stages under the oversight of the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
The transition to the new maximum limit will occur gradually without any salary reduction. The first phase takes effect 60 days post-promulgation, reducing the weekly cap from 44 to 42 hours with two guaranteed days of rest. The second phase begins 12 months after the first, capping the workweek at 40 hours.
Compliance oversight will be managed by labor inspectors from the Secretariat of Labor Inspection. Inspections will be initiated through formal worker reports or data-matching initiatives by inspectors. Non-compliant companies remain subject to statutory labor law penalties.
Workers can register complaints through the Secretariat's Digital Labor Complaint Channel using secure authentication, with full identity protection. Individuals retain the right to seek back pay and overtime compensation through the Labor Court system.
The constitutional amendment does not create new specific fines, relying instead on existing labor code penalties. Inspectors may apply a two-visit guideline in certain instances, making the initial inspection educational before issuing penalties.
- Gradual reduction of the weekly work limit from 44 to 40 hours without salary reduction.
- Constitutional guarantee of two paid days of rest per week.
- Enforcement governed by existing Labor Code provisions via the Labor Inspection Secretariat.
Corroborates: Fim da escala 6x1: O que fazer se a empresa não respeitar a nova jornada? Veja como denunciar