Chamber Approves 40‑Hour Workweek as Senate Prepares Decision

Overview

• The Chamber of Deputies approved the constitutional amendment to cut the legal maximum from 44 to 40 hours on May 27, shifting most workers from 6x1 patterns to a five‑day, two‑day rest model while the text awaits Senate approval.
• The PEC includes a 14‑month transition and specific rules for different professions so operations with special schedules can be regulated separately.
• Employers warn the change could raise operating costs and prompt hiring shifts such as more outsourcing, conversion of staff into contractor formats and greater informal work if firms try to preserve service levels with fewer formal hours.
• Sectors that run 24/7—notably hospitals, retail and industry—face the hardest planning challenge because they must keep full coverage for critical shifts and cannot simply reduce hours without redesigning rosters.
• Workforce‑management vendors say simulation, scheduling and audit‑trail features can help companies test new shift plans, ensure legal rest and overtime limits and document compliance as firms adapt; analysts caution the fast political push risks underestimating economic and labor‑market tradeoffs.