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Retail Movement Reignites Debate on Work Hours as Minas Gerais Network Tests New Model with Two Days Off and Senate Discusses Proposal That Could Change Rules Across the Country.
The Supernosso Group announced on Tuesday (26) that it will adopt a 5×2 schedule for operational staff in a pilot project starting in March, with three units, which may be expanded to other stores throughout 2026.
The change comes as a constitutional amendment proposal discussing weekly rest and the gradual reduction of maximum working hours advances in the Senate, but the text has not yet completed its processing and does not change, in itself, the current schedules in the country.
In the statement about the pilot, the chain states that the reorganization of the workweek aims to reduce daily wear and tear, citing the decrease of “emotional and physical burden” and the fact that workers will need to travel to work one day less.
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Although part of the public debate treats the topic as the “end of the 6×1,” Supernosso’s initiative is currently presented as an operational test focused on specific units, with internal evaluation before any potential expansion across the network.
5×2 Schedule at Supernosso and Maintenance of 44 Weekly Hours
Unlike models that combine fewer working days with hour cuts, Supernosso states that it will maintain the weekly workload of 44 hours as provided by law, changing only the distribution of this workload throughout the week.
With two days off, the schedule will require a longer daily routine: the company reports that working hours will shift to 8h48, instead of the 7h20 practiced in the 6×1 format mentioned in the announcement regarding the in-store experience.
The expectation of expansion was recorded by the company itself as it detailed the pilot schedule and the goal to implement the arrangement in more units, without indicating, for now, which stores will be the next to adopt the format.
“The group’s expectation is to expand the new work model later this year to the other units,” stated the Supernosso Group when presenting the project’s start and the internal goals for reorganizing the work schedule.
PEC 148/2015 and the Debate on the End of the 6×1 Schedule
The discussion has gained momentum in Congress and advanced in the Senate Committee on Constitution and Justice, which approved, on December 10, 2025, the PEC 148/2015, a proposal that provides for two days of paid rest and progressive reduction of maximum working hours.
After this stage, the text will go to plenary voting in the Senate in two rounds and, if approved, will also need to pass through the Chamber of Deputies before any promulgation, keeping the topic open in the short term.
Federal government members have argued that changes to increase rest should not mean wage loss, and the public debate began to include the promise to maintain compensation, even in scenarios of gradual reduction of the weekly limit.
Still, the content of the proposal and its transition timelines remain at the center of political negotiations, and the productive sector is closely monitoring because, depending on the final design, adjustments in schedules and hiring may be required.
Economic Impact and Possible Effects on Formal Employment
As networks test alternatives and Congress discusses structural changes, entities and technical studies have indicated risks associated with increased operational costs, especially in segments with a large presence of on-site work and extended hours.
A technical note from the Public Leadership Center (CLP) estimates that the potential end of the 6×1, if approved as analyzed, could result in the elimination of over 600,000 formal jobs, as well as indicating a decrease in productivity in specific sectors.
The same diagnosis associates the greater impact with areas such as commerce, agriculture, and construction, as these are activities with routines that depend on shifts, on-call duties, and continuous service, which may require a complete reorganization of teams to maintain operations.
On the other hand, companies advocating for tests with more days off argue that predictable time off can help reduce absences, turnover, and burnout, elements that also impact the real cost of operations, even though this calculation varies case by case.
Sunday Work and Employee Preferences in Retail
In the supermarket retail sector, the issue of time off often clashes with weekend operations, when demand increases and some chains keep their doors open as a commercial strategy and consumer habit.
In this context, the founder of Supermercados BH, Pedro Lourenço de Oliveira, has declared himself against Sunday work, although he keeps the stores open, reflecting the tension between personal preference, operation, and customer expectations.
According to the entrepreneur’s report, an internal survey indicated that 55% of employees prefer to work on Sundays, partly because shifts are usually shorter and can guarantee an extra time off during the week to address pending issues.
When announcing the 5×2 pilot, Supernosso presents the discussion in terms of routine and well-being, but the practical outcome will depend on how the schedule is applied to each role, breaks, transportation, and necessary coverage to maintain service.
If networks can combine two days off with service quality, without loss of efficiency and without passing on costs, the experience can become a reference in the sector, but large-scale adoption tends to require fine adjustments and continuous negotiation with teams.
With the Senate reviewing the PEC and companies starting their own projects, what type of schedule do you consider most viable for the food retail sector to function well while preserving time off and income for those working in stores?
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