Overview
- The government will present the official reform on September 1, initiating a phased reduction from 48 to 46 hours in 2026 with a final cut to 40 hours by January 2030 tailored to company size.
- Concanaco Servytur proposes counting only active work time toward the 40-hour week by excluding breaks and paying solely for productive hours.
- Economic experts warn that maintaining current salaries under a shorter workweek could force SMEs to hire additional staff or pay overtime, driving up operational costs.
- Health specialists caution that the push to meet existing output in fewer hours may increase stress, anxiety and burnout among employees.
- Industries requiring continuous coverage such as manufacturing, customer service and healthcare face logistical hurdles in reorganizing schedules without disrupting operations.