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Brazilian Business Owners Are Alerted by Proposal to Change Work Schedule from 6×1 to 4×3. For Them, the PEC Represents a Real Economic Risk: Increased Operational Costs, Possible Price Pass-through to Consumers, and Inflationary Pressure.
The recent proposed constitutional amendment (PEC), which suggests changing the work schedule from 6×1 to 4×3, has sparked heated debates. The idea is to reduce the number of working days to four consecutive days, with three days off.
At first glance, this may seem like an advantage for workers. However, for employers and businesses in Brazil, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, this proposal raises serious concerns.
The approval of this PEC would bring significant economic impacts, triggering increased costs and even inflationary pressure. Let’s understand why companies view this change with apprehension.
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Increasing Costs and Need for Workforce Replacement
With the shift to a 4×3 schedule, many companies would see a decrease in the number of productive days per week. Sectors that rely on continuous operations, such as industry, essential services, transportation, and healthcare, would face a complicated situation.
To maintain productivity, these companies would need to hire more employees. And what does that mean? Simply put: an increase in the payroll. In addition to salaries, each hire comes with high labor charges in Brazil.
This increase in operational costs would add to the already high tax burden and complex labor legislation. In Brazil, keeping an employee under the CLT system involves considerable costs, such as FGTS, INSS, vacation pay, and 13th salary.
As they require more people to cover the additional days off, companies would face a direct increase in fixed costs, which could eventually be passed on to the consumer.
Inflationary Pressure and Cost Pass-through to Consumers
A concerning point for employers is the possibility that increased costs would affect final prices. This type of inflationary pressure occurs because companies in essential sectors, such as food and transportation, have little margin to absorb cost increases without affecting their prices.
To maintain their margins and business continuity, these companies might pass on some of these costs to consumers.
This cost pass-through generates inflation, as it directly impacts the cost of living for everyone. In an economic situation where inflation is already a national concern, adding another source of price increases may hinder the country’s economic stability. This cascading effect would impact not only workers but also businesses and consequently the entire economy.
Reduction in Productivity and Challenges for Competitiveness
The 6×1 schedule is widely used because it maintains good productivity and allows companies to operate continuously. However, with a 4×3 schedule, many sectors would face a decline in productivity, as the number of working days would be reduced.
For companies that require constant work, such as factories and customer service firms, the drop in productivity could mean increased expenses.
This negative impact on productivity directly affects the competitiveness of Brazilian companies. Foreign companies in markets with lower tax and labor burdens would have a significant competitive advantage.
This difference makes it more difficult for Brazilian companies to stand out in the international market, directly impacting the national economy.
Devastating Effects on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
The SMEs would be the most affected by this change. Unlike large corporations, which have more resources and flexibility to deal with changes, SMEs face serious budgetary constraints. For many of these companies, hiring additional employees to cover the extra days off simply wouldn’t be feasible.
The change to a 4×3 work schedule, combined with high labor charges, could drive small businesses to bankruptcy. This would not only reduce job creation but also decrease market competition, which is essential for maintaining a healthy and dynamic economy.
Sustainability and Difficulty with Labor Charges
In Brazil, maintaining employees comes with high labor charges. If the PEC is approved and working hours are reduced, businesses would have to hire more workers, and fixed costs, like INSS and FGTS, would further increase. Without compensation, this change becomes unsustainable for many companies.
To make this PEC viable, it would be necessary to reconsider the load of labor charges, perhaps reducing them to offset the increase in payroll costs.
Without such counterbalancing measures, the proposal jeopardizes the sustainability of businesses, leaving them vulnerable to declines in productivity and increases in costs.
Effects on the Productive Chain and Consumption
The shift from a 6×1 to a 4×3 schedule would not only affect companies directly but also their suppliers and partners. An increase in production costs affects the entire production chain, driving up prices for products and essential services to the final consumer.
This effect, known as the “cascade effect,” triggers further cost increases that ripple through the economy, contributing to inflation.
Comparing the “Brazil Cost” with European Countries Is a Misunderstanding
Comparing Brazil with European countries where shorter working hours have functioned well may seem, at first, a good argument to support the change from the work schedule of 6×1 to 4×3. However, this comparison ignores a series of structural and economic factors that differentiate the Brazilian reality from the European context. Next, let’s explore why this equivalence may lead to misleading and even harmful conclusions for Brazil.
First, it is important to note that many European countries that have adopted reduced working hours operate in scenarios with lower tax burdens and labor costs, or at least structured in a more sustainable way for businesses. In France, for example, where the working hours were reduced to 35 hours a week, the government offers a series of tax incentives and subsidies to companies, softening the financial impact. In Brazil, however, the infamous Brazil cost—composed of high social charges, tax complexity, and high bureaucracy—makes any increase in payroll weigh much more heavily on company budgets, especially for small and medium enterprises.
Furthermore, European productivity and infrastructure are, on average, higher, allowing for greater efficiency per hour worked. In Brazil, productivity is affected by infrastructure issues, education, and lack of incentives for innovation. Thus, reducing working hours here could further decrease the already low competitiveness of the country compared to European nations, impacting companies’ ability to compete both internally and globally.
Another relevant point is that many European countries have social protection networks and employment support programs that operate efficiently. In Brazil, these mechanisms are more limited and do not always reach all sectors of the economy. In a scenario where companies face high costs with INSS, FGTS, and other charges, the additional burden of a reduced work schedule without sufficient government support could generate a wave of unemployment, as some companies simply would not be able to bear the new costs without laying off employees.
Thus, while the 4×3 schedule may seem ideal in countries with robust economic support structures and a lower burden of charges, in Brazil the reality is different. Irresponsibly importing this model without considering the peculiarities of the Brazil cost could result in severe economic and social damages.
We Need to Assess Economic Impacts Carefully
The PEC proposing the change of the work schedule from 6×1 to 4×3 offers benefits for workers’ quality of life, but also raises alarms for employers and the economy. The increase in operational costs, inflationary pressure, and challenges in productivity are real issues for companies of all sizes.
The feasibility of the proposal depends on a careful review of the labor and tax obligations of businesses. Without this assessment, the economic impact could be significant and jeopardize the sustainability of Brazilian companies.
Given the scenario, it is essential that the government and legislative bodies analyze the repercussions of this PEC, seeking solutions that benefit both workers and employers, without compromising the country’s economy.
CONSIDERATIONS: CPG Click Oil and Gas does not oppose the PEC and recognizes the importance of seeking improvements in workers’ quality of life. However, it is essential to analyze the issue broadly, considering the economic and structural impacts that the measure would bring to companies and the economy as a whole. After all, significant changes like this need to consider all sides involved, not just what seems most advantageous at first glance.
ESSA SUBTITUIÇÃO JÁ ESTAR OCORRENDO HÁ ANOS,MEUS CAROS. NÃO VAI SER A ESCALA 6X1 QUE VAI OCASIONAR ISSO. QUE SF… SE OS EMPRESÁRIOS VÃO PRATICAR ESSAS TROCAS.
Argumentos rasos. Mais um escravocrata disfarçado.
As empresas de grande porte vem com esse discursinho barato de que vão aumentar o preço dos produtos, mas eles não fazem isso porque o custo de produção aumentou, eles fazem isso porque NÃO QUEREM ABRIR MÃO DA MARGEM DE LUCRO QUE ELES TEM, mesmo se isso significar trabalhadores precarizados e sem vida além do trabalho! Essa é a grande verdade! Querem só lucrar e lucrar em cima do trabalho E DA VIDA alheia, eles querem nossa alma, querem nosso sangue, não querem apenas o nosso trabalho mais!
E outra: queda na produtividade? Amigo, já é comprovado por estudos conduzidos há mais de uma década que a produtividade não diminui, e sim, AUMENTA com esse modelo de escala de trabalho. Trabalhador feliz e descansado é trabalhador atento, menos acidentes de trabalho, menos faltas por atestado médico, menos faltas sob pretexto. Não precisa sair no meio do dia pra cuidar da própria saúde ou dos filhos, pode-se fazer isso nos dias vagos se essa proposta passar. Os benefícios superam infinitamente os malefícios!