End of the 6x1 schedule in Brazil: what changes in working hours and when

On October 16, 2026, Brazil's Congress promulgated Constitutional Amendment 141, which ends the 6x1 schedule (six working days for one day off). Maximum working hours fall from 44 to 42 per week in 60 days and to 40 hours about a year later, with two paid rest days per week and no salary reduction.

Quick summary

• End of 6x1: the rule becomes two paid rest days per week, one of them preferably on Sunday.
• Hours: 44h until 60 days after publication; 42h from then on; 40h about 14 months after publication.
• Salary: the amendment prohibits reducing salary because of the shorter hours.
• Collective agreements can organize how the days are distributed, guaranteeing an average of two rest days per week over the month.
• Domestic workers are also covered.
• A complementary law may still create transition rules for MEIs (individual micro-entrepreneurs), micro and small businesses.

Timeline of the change

• Until 60 days after publication — Maximum hours: 44h per week · Rest: old rules
• From 60 days (mid-December 2026) — Maximum hours: 42h per week · Rest: 2 days per week
• About 14 months after publication — Maximum hours: 40h per week · Rest: 2 days per week

Companies contracted by the government with dedicated staff have up to 12 months to adapt their contracts.

What changes in your pocket

Your monthly salary stays the same, but since you work fewer hours, your hourly rate goes up. This affects overtime calculations: the monthly divisor used to find the hourly rate, currently 220 for 44 hours a week, tends to fall as hours decrease (at 40h, the usual divisor becomes 200). See Overtime: how to calculate.

Points that still depend on regulation

• 12x36 schedule: the amendment does not expressly prohibit it; it may need adaptation or interpretation.
• Graduate professionals with high salaries (above 2.5 times the INSS ceiling — the INSS is the National Social Security Institute) may have their own working-hour control rules, with the two rest days maintained.
• Small businesses: a complementary law may bring transition measures.

Follow the rules issued by the Ministry of Labor and your category's collective agreements.

Step by step: what workers should do

1. Write down your actual hours from now on, with days and times.
2. Check the schedule the employer adopts after the 60-day period.
3. Check your payslip: your monthly salary cannot go down.
4. Ask the union whether there is a new collective agreement on how hours are distributed.
5. If the employer does not comply, contact the union, file a complaint with the Ministry of Labor or claim in the Labor Court.

Frequently asked questions

When does the 6x1 schedule end?

Sixty days after publication of Constitutional Amendment 141/2026, promulgated on October 16, 2026, when the 42-hour week and the two rest days take effect.

Will my salary go down?

No. The amendment prohibits salary reductions because of the shorter hours.

Can the employer still use a 6x1 schedule?

Only if there is a collective agreement guaranteeing an average of two paid rest days per week over the month.

Are domestic workers also entitled?

Yes. The guarantees on working hours and rest also cover domestic workers.

Read more in this series

• CLT worker rights: complete guide
• Overtime: how to calculate it, limits and how to claim unpaid hours
• Hour bank: rules, compensation deadlines and what to do
• Reporting labor violations: Ministry of Labor or MPT? How to do it
• Index: complete guide to labor rights