Health, safety and leave at work in Brazil: guide (2026)

The employer is responsible for a safe workplace: it must provide PPE free of charge, carry out occupational health exams and file the CAT (work accident report) in case of an accident or work-related illness. Workers who take leave due to a work accident or occupational disease have 12 months of job security after returning (Law 8,213/1991, art. 118), and pregnant workers are protected from confirmation of pregnancy until 5 months after childbirth. This topic brings together Human Case's guides on health, safety and leave.

Quick summary

• CAT: the employer must file it by the 1st business day after the accident; if it does not, the worker, the union or the doctor may do so.
• Accident-related job security: 12 months after returning from INSS leave due to a work accident or illness.
• Maternity leave: 120 days (180 at companies in the Empresa Cidadã program).
• 14 guides in this topic, all free and with official sources.

Medical certificates, illness and leave

• Medical certificates at work: validity, deadline, ICD code and when the employer can refuse — A medical certificate justifies the absence and cannot lead to a deduction.
• Sickness benefit (auxílio-doença) from Brazil's INSS in 2026: who is entitled, amount, Atestmed and the "social security limbo" — How to apply for the sickness benefit (temporary disability benefit) in 2026: qualifying period, amount, Atestmed for up to 90 days without an examination, extension, appeals and what to do when the INSS clears you but the employer won't take you back.
• Is burnout a work-related illness? Rights, leave and the new NR-1 on psychosocial risks — Burnout syndrome is on Brazil's list of work-related illnesses and, since May 2026, employers are inspected under NR-1 for psychosocial risks.
• RSI/WMSD: when repetitive strain injury is a work-related illness and what the rights are — Tendinitis, bursitis and other repetitive strain injuries may be work-related illnesses.
• Dismissal during medical leave: is it allowed? — Whether an employer can dismiss someone on a medical certificate or INSS leave, when the dismissal is discriminatory, job security for occupational disease and what to do.

Accidents and safety

• Work accidents: CAT, leave and workers' rights — What counts as a work accident, who issues the CAT and when, how INSS leave works, the 12-month job security and FGTS during leave.
• INSS accident allowance (auxílio-acidente): who is entitled, the 50% amount and how to apply — The accident allowance is a monthly payment of 50% of the benefit salary for those left with a lasting injury that reduces their work capacity.
• Pre-employment, periodic and exit medical exams (ASO): what is mandatory and what is prohibited — Occupational exams are paid for by the employer and produce the ASO.
• Uniforms and PPE: who pays, who washes them and when the employer can deduct — PPE is the employer's obligation and must be provided free of charge.
• CIPA: what it is, how elections work and who has job security — The CIPA prevents accidents and harassment at work.

Pregnancy, maternity and other leave

• Pregnant workers: appointments, change of role, breastfeeding and childcare assistance — Beyond job security, pregnant workers have the right to miss work for appointments, change roles for health reasons, be removed from unhealthy work, take breastfeeding breaks and have childcare support.
• Maternity and paternity leave in 2026: rules and what's new — 120 days of maternity leave (180 under Empresa Cidadã), job security for pregnant workers and the new paternity leave under Law 15,371/2026, rising to 10, 15 and 20 days by 2029.
• Maternity pay (salário-maternidade): who receives it, amount, unemployed mothers, MEIs and how to apply to the INSS — Maternity pay lasts 120 days for employees, domestic workers, MEIs, self-employed and rural insured women, and even unemployed women still in the grace period.
• Leave for military service: is your job protected? Rights of conscripted workers — Anyone called up for mandatory military service cannot be dismissed for that reason.

Other topics

• Pay and benefits
• Working hours
• Harassment, discrimination and privacy at work
• Types of employment contract
• Dismissal and termination
• Labor Courts, complaints and free legal help
• Full index of guides

Frequently asked questions

What if the employer does not file the CAT?

The worker, the union, the doctor or a public authority can file the CAT through the INSS website or app (Law 8,213/1991, art. 22, §2).

Can I be dismissed after returning from leave due to a work accident?

Not without just cause during the 12 months after the accident-related sickness benefit ends (Law 8,213/1991, art. 118).

Who pays the first 15 days of sick leave?

The employer pays the first 15 days; from the 16th day on, the benefit is paid by INSS.