Year-end temporary jobs in Brazil: rights, pay and what to check before accepting

Year-end jobs in retail and logistics can be hired in two ways: as temporary work through an agency (Law 6,019/1974), or through a fixed-term contract directly with the store (CLT, art. 443 — the CLT is Brazil's Consolidated Labor Laws). In both cases there is a registered work card, salary, FGTS, 13th salary and proportional vacation — and no company can charge the candidate a fee.

Quick summary

• Temporary work (Law 6,019/74): the agency registers you; the store is the client company. Up to 180 days, extendable by 90.
• Fixed-term contract (CLT): the store itself registers you, for up to 2 years, in an activity of a transitory nature.
• Rights: pay equivalent to permanent staff, overtime, night-work supplement, FGTS (the Severance Indemnity Fund), 13th salary and proportional vacation + 1/3.
• Charging the candidate a fee is prohibited for temporary staffing agencies (art. 18 of Law 6,019/74).
• At the normal end of the term: no notice period, no 40% penalty and, as a rule, no unemployment insurance.

Temporary work vs. fixed-term contract

• Temporary work — Who registers you: the temporary staffing agency · Term: up to 180 + 90 days · Early termination by the employer: rules of the contract and Law 6,019
• Fixed-term contract — Who registers you: the store itself · Term: up to 2 years · Early termination by the employer: compensation of half the salary until the end (art. 479), unless there is an early termination clause

Ask at the interview which type of contract it is and check the Digital Work Card after hiring.

Your rights in a year-end job

• Pay equal to that of employees in the same role at the store (Law 6,019/74, art. 12).
• Hours of up to 8 per day; overtime at a minimum of 50% — see Overtime.
• Work on public holidays only with authorization in a collective agreement, in general retail — see Working on Christmas and New Year's.
• Proportional 13th salary, including the 2026 dates — see Second installment of the 13th.
• 8% FGTS, which can be withdrawn at the end of the contract.

The controversial points

Unregistered Christmas "freelance" work

Working every day, with set hours, a boss and a salary, without a registered work card is not "freelancing": it is an employment relationship. Keep messages, schedules and Pix payment receipts. See Working without a registered contract.

Pregnancy in temporary work

The TST (Superior Labor Court) has held that job security for pregnant workers does not apply to temporary work under Law 6,019/74. In a fixed-term contract directly with the store, TST Precedent 244 guarantees job security. That is why the type of contract matters.

Being hired permanently

Many year-end jobs are a way in. If you keep working after the maximum term, or return to the same client company before the 90-day cooling-off period, there may be a direct employment relationship with the store — see Temporary work.

Scams

Be wary of jobs that charge a "registration fee", "mandatory course" or "uniform" before hiring. Law 6,019/74 prohibits agencies from charging workers any amount.

Checklist before accepting

1. What is the type of contract and who registers you?
2. What are the pay, hours and December schedule (including holidays and Sundays)?
3. What is the expected end date?
4. Is there a transportation voucher and meals?
5. Is the agency properly registered and did it charge you nothing?

Frequently asked questions

Are Christmas temporary workers entitled to the 13th salary?

Yes, proportional to the months worked (a month with 15 days or more counts in full).

Do I get unemployment insurance when the contract ends?

At the normal end of the term, generally not, because there is no dismissal without cause.

Can the agency charge me a fee to hire me?

No. Law 6,019/74, art. 18, prohibits charging the worker any amount.

Read more in this series

• Temporary work: rights, deadlines and rules
• Working on Christmas and New Year's: rules for retail
• Second installment of the 13th salary 2026
• Probationary contract: term, extension and rights
• Index: complete guide to labor rights