12x36 schedule in Brazil: rules, holidays, days off and what changes with the end of 6x1

Under the 12x36 schedule, the worker works 12 consecutive hours and rests for the next 36 hours. It is provided for in art. 59-A of the CLT (Brazil's Consolidated Labor Laws) and can be adopted by written individual agreement, company collective agreement or sector-wide collective agreement. By law, the monthly pay already covers weekly rest and public holidays. With the end of the 6x1 schedule (Constitutional Amendment 141/2026), the 12x36 continues to exist, but some points are still under discussion.

Quick summary

• Legal basis: CLT, art. 59-A (2017 Labor Reform).
• Form: written individual agreement or collective agreement.
• Meal break: must be granted or paid as compensation (art. 59-A).
• Holidays and weekly rest: considered compensated by the schedule itself (art. 59-A, sole paragraph).
• Night-work supplement: owed on hours between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., with the reduced night hour.
• Weekly average: about 42 hours, which raises debate given the new 40-hour maximum.

How the schedule works in practice

In a 30-day month, the worker does on average 15 twelve-hour shifts, about 180 hours. It is common in healthcare, security, building staff and continuous industry.

• Day 1 — Works 12 hours
• Day 2 — Rests (36 hours off)
• Day 3 — Works 12 hours
• And so on — alternating shifts and days off

What the law guarantees

1. Break: the law allows the meal break to be paid as compensation, but the worker must be able to eat.
2. Night-work supplement: owed for night hours; if a night shift extends past 5 a.m., the supplement continues (TST Precedent 60 — the TST is the Superior Labor Court) — see Night-work supplement.
3. Overtime: if shifts regularly exceed 12 hours, the schedule may be invalidated and the excess paid as overtime — see Overtime.
4. Unhealthy work: the reform removed the need for prior Ministry of Labor authorization for 12x36 (art. 60, sole paragraph), an issue still debated in collective agreements.

What about the end of 6x1?

Constitutional Amendment 141/2026 reduces maximum hours to 42 and then 40 per week and guarantees two rest days a week. The 12x36 already offers more days off, but its weekly average (about 42 hours) is above 40. Bills under discussion propose keeping 12x36 through collective bargaining with a compatible monthly average and paying the difference as overtime. Follow the regulations and your category's collective agreement.

Step by step to check your schedule

1. Ask for a copy of the written agreement or collective clause authorizing 12x36.
2. Check your time record: start, end and breaks — see Time records.
3. Check the night-work supplement on your payslip.
4. Add up extra shifts: they are overtime.
5. If something is wrong, contact the union or the Ministry of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

Can the employer impose 12x36 without an agreement?

No. A written individual agreement or collective agreement is required.

Do 12x36 workers get double pay on holidays?

Under current law, holidays are considered compensated within the schedule. Collective rules may provide additional pay.

Does 12x36 end with the new 40-hour week?

Not automatically. How the schedule will fit the new limit still depends on regulations and collective bargaining.

Read more in this series

• End of the 6x1 schedule: what changes in working hours
• 40-hour week: how many hours a day?
• Night-work supplement: hours, percentage and how to calculate it
• Relief workers (folguistas): rights, schedule and pay
• Index: complete guide to labor rights