Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
31 comments 
Proposal to End the 6×1 Shift in Brazil is Gaining Momentum in 2024. Workers from Various Sectors May Benefit from More Rest. Understand How the Change Could Affect the Future of the Workday and Which Professions Will Have Their Conditions Improved. What Do You Think About This Transformation?
The news that is generating discussions across Brazil could change the future of the workday for many professionals.
A proposal with the potential to end the famous 6×1 shift is currently under discussion. But if it is approved, which professions will be benefited by this change? The topic was the most commented on X (formerly Twitter) this Saturday (09).
End of the 6×1 Shift: What Happens Next?
-
FOX Sports opens a vacancy for those who dream of “being paid to watch soccer,” offering approximately R$ 246,000 to watch all 104 World Cup games in 4K.
-
FOX Sports is opening a position for those who dream of “being paid to watch soccer,” offering approximately R$ 246,000 to watch all 104 World Cup games in 4K.
-
Work at Shopee: company opens over 90 vacancies in Brazil in new Distribution Center in Ceará and promises to generate 300 jobs in billion-dollar logistics operation that expands dispute with Amazon and Mercado Livre in the Northeast
-
Work at SAMU! Applications are open for a position with a salary of up to R$ 13,000 in a new public tender offering over 500 opportunities for high school, technical, and university levels. The selection process will have 6 stages and contracts of up to 3 years.
Today, the 6×1 shift is a common practice in various sectors across the country. In this schedule, the worker has six consecutive days of work, followed by one single day of rest.
For many activities, such as industries, essential services, and maintenance and cleaning, this shift acts as a way to ensure continuous operations without interrupting the workflow.
But the changes being debated in Congress could cause this work shift model to cease to exist.
The 6×1 shift can be considered harsh for those living in a routine of uninterrupted services.
The working time is usually around 7 hours and 30 minutes, which, although it seems reasonable, leaves many professionals with little room for rest.
For some, this system resembles the past when long workdays without rights were the norm.
The proposal to end the 6×1 shift has been the subject of more intense debate since the second quarter of 2024, when Councilman Rick Azevedo from PSOL/RJ led the movement called “Life Beyond Work.”
Azevedo considers the shift an outdated practice and compared the workday to a “form of modern slavery”, arguing that a single day of rest per week is insufficient to ensure the quality of life of workers.
The movement gained momentum with the participation of other politicians, such as Representative Erika Hilton (PSOL/SP), who proposed a public hearing to discuss ending the 6×1 shift.
The proposal was approved by the Labor Commission of the Chamber in April 2024, but the struggle continues.
In November 2024, discussions are intensifying, and a Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) is already being discussed to formalize this change in the Constitution, requiring a significant number of signatures in Congress.
Most Affected Sectors by the End of the 6×1 Shift
The 6×1 shift is most common in industries, markets, restaurants, hotels, pharmacies, maintenance, and cleaning.
Professionals in these areas are the most directly impacted by the change, as work schedules need to be adjusted to avoid compromising essential services operations.
But will all sectors feel the impact of a radical change?
The industry and the essential services sector are the most dependent on this work shift.
For example, cleaning or maintenance companies that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rely on the scalability of this shift to ensure continuous functioning.
With the elimination of the 6×1 shift, these companies will need to review their work structure and find alternatives that do not overburden their employees.
Most Benefited Professions
With the possible change in the law, service sector workers, such as pharmacies, restaurants, and supermarkets, may be the first to notice the benefits of this alteration.
With more free time to dedicate to personal life, the quality of life of these professionals tends to improve, allowing them to recover more adequately from the intense workload they face.
Moreover, the public sector may also be positively impacted, as various workers linked to government bodies and essential services operating on a shift basis may benefit from fairer and more balanced workdays.
Challenges for the Future of the Workday in Brazil
The big question that remains is: how will Brazil manage to balance the need for continuous operations with the guarantee of more humane labor rights?
According to experts, it will be a challenge for essential services companies to adjust their work routines to meet society’s demand for more flexible and dignified workdays.
The PEC proposing the alteration of the 6×1 shift still needs massive support in Congress, with the collection of 171 signatures in the House of Deputies to proceed.
The expectation is that, if the change is approved, the affected professions may undergo a restructuring that offers more quality of life to workers without compromising the continuity of operations in essential services.
The pressure for changes in work shifts is only increasing as society debates the issue of balancing personal and professional life. If the PEC proposal progresses, could we envision a Brazil with more flexible and fair workdays for workers?
And you, what do you think about the proposal to end the 6×1 shift? Do you believe that this change will be beneficial for professionals in Brazil? Leave your opinion in the comments!
Acredito que a redução da jornada d3 trabalho trará benefícios , tanto para os trabalhadores quanto para redução de gastos no INSS, com custos de doenças relacionadas ao trabalho.
Acho excelente pois teríamos mais tempo pra descansar e curtir a família
Com certeza essa mudança vai trazer mais qualidade de vida aos trabalhadores, meu filho trabalha em um supermercado que faz 6×1 e o pior é que tem 15 minutos de almoço, e não tem horários fixo, cada dia entra em um horário que eles determinam antes de terminar o dia, uma escravidão…