Rest between shifts in Brazil: the 11 hours off between one working day and the next

Between two working days there must be a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest (CLT, art. 66 — the CLT is Brazil's Consolidated Labor Laws). If the worker leaves at midnight, they can only return at 11 a.m. the next day. Any hours missing to complete the 11 hours must be paid as overtime.

Quick summary

• Minimum: 11 consecutive hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next.
• Breach: the missing hours are paid as overtime, with the supplement (TST SDI-1 Case Law Guideline 355 — the TST is the Superior Labor Court).
• Weekly rest: the 11 hours are added to the 24 hours of weekly rest — a total of 35 hours at the turn of the week (TST Precedent 110).
• Common in: shift changes, on-call work, events, travel and remote work at night.

How to count

1. Note your actual leaving time (not the scheduled one).
2. Add 11 hours.
3. The result is the earliest time you can return.

Example: left at 11:30 p.m. → can only return at 10:30 a.m. If you returned at 8 a.m., 2h30 were missed and must be paid as overtime.

On the weekly day off, the count is 35 hours: someone who leaves Saturday at 10 p.m. can only return Monday at 9 a.m.

Situations where breaches are common

• Closing a store or restaurant at night and opening early the next day.
• Schedule changes that ignore the rest period.
• Work messages and calls at night that require a response — see On-call and standby.
• Business trips that end in the early hours.

How to prove and claim

1. Keep your time record and note actual times.
2. Keep messages sent or received at night.
3. Calculate the missed hours for each occurrence.
4. Claim through the union or in a labor claim.

Frequently asked questions

Can I waive the 11 hours of rest?

No. It is a health and safety rule; individual agreements that eliminate it are not valid.

Does rest between shifts apply to home office workers?

Yes, for hours-based remote work — see Home office.

Read more in this series

• Lunch break: minimum time and skipped breaks
• Paid weekly rest (DSR)
• Overtime: how to calculate it, limits and how to claim
• Is burnout a work-related illness? Rights and the new NR-1
• Index: complete guide to labor rights