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Lula signed a decree that reduces the working hours from 44 to 40 hours per week for about 40 thousand contractors of the federal public administration. The measure maintains the full salary, does not change the number of working days, and continues the reduction started in 2024 that has already benefited 19 thousand workers.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed on Monday (13) a decree that expands the reduction of the working hours for contracted employees of the federal public administration. The measure reduces the weekly workload from 44 to 40 hours and is expected to benefit about 40 thousand workers providing services to the government in areas such as cleaning, security, maintenance, and administrative support. The new model maintains the number of working days and the full salary, changing only the number of weekly hours, with no application for professionals working in shift systems such as 12×36 or 24×72.
The decision is not isolated. Since 2024, approximately 19 thousand contractors had already been granted the same reduction in working hours, according to information from the federal government. The decree on Monday significantly expands this reach and occurs amid the national debate on broader changes in labor relations, including proposals to replace the 6×1 shift with models such as 5×2. During the announcement, Lula stated that “we are taking steps, albeit slower than I imagined,” signaling that the reduction of working hours for contractors is just the beginning of a more ambitious strategy.
What changes in the working hours of the 40 thousand contractors
According to the portal of the Diário do Comércio, the change is straightforward: the weekly working hours decrease from 44 to 40 hours, with no salary reduction and no change in the number of working days. In practice, contractors who worked 8 hours and 48 minutes a day in a five-day week will now work 8 hours daily, a reduction of almost one hour per day which, over a month, represents a significant gain of free time. For those working six days a week, the redistribution of hours also results in shorter daily shifts.
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The rule applies to contracted workers linked to service provision contracts with the federal public administration. The reduced working hours do not apply to professionals in shift systems, such as security guards on 12×36 shifts or health professionals on 24×72 schemes, whose working hours follow specific regulations. The decree also does not change the working hours of civil servants who are already operating under a 40-hour weekly regime in most cases.
The additional benefits that came with the new work schedule
In addition to the reduction of the work schedule, the government formalized measures related to childcare reimbursement for outsourced workers. The initiative aims to expand conditions for workers, especially women, to balance employment and family care, recognizing that the lack of access to childcare is one of the main barriers to female participation in the labor market. The childcare reimbursement functions as a financial aid intended to partially cover the early childhood education of the beneficiaries’ children.
Attending the signing event were the Minister of Management and Innovation, Esther Dweck, the Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, and the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Guilherme Boulos. The presence of three ministers at the announcement signals the importance that the government attributes to policies that value outsourced workers, a category historically marginalized in discussions about labor rights, despite representing a significant portion of the workforce that keeps the public machinery running.
The reduced work schedule may extend to the private sector
The expansion of the reduced work schedule for outsourced workers is seen as part of a gradual government strategy to discuss broader changes in labor relations in Brazil. Members of the Executive argue that the reduction of working hours, without salary cuts, could be extended in the future to other sectors, but they acknowledge that the proposal depends on broader debates and eventual approval in the National Congress, where resistance from business sectors is predictable.
The political context favors the discussion. The proposal to replace the 6×1 schedule with models like the 5×2 has gained traction on social media and in public opinion, and the government’s decision to reduce the work schedule for outsourced workers serves as a practical test of viability. If the measure does not lead to a significant increase in operational costs or a reduction in productivity in services provided to the government, the argument for extension to the private sector gains empirical support. If it causes problems, critics will have concrete data to oppose it.
What critics say about the reduction of the work schedule
The measure is not unanimous. Critics point out that the reduction of the work schedule for outsourced workers may increase the costs of service contracts with the government, as outsourced companies may need to hire more employees to cover the same hours of service previously performed by smaller teams working longer hours. This additional cost, they argue, would be passed on to the taxpayer through more expensive contracts.
Proponents of the measure respond that the 44-hour workweek is a remnant of labor legislation that has not kept pace with Brazilian productivity evolution. The argument is that rested workers produce more per hour worked, and that reducing the workweek can, in practice, maintain or even increase total productivity without the need for additional hires. The debate between efficiency and labor rights is old, but the government’s decision to act first in the public sector puts real data on the table before any broader legislative discussion.
What to expect from the workweek in Brazil in the coming months
Lula’s statement that “we are taking steps, albeit slower than I imagined” suggests that the government intends to advance, but with caution. The reduction of the workweek for 40,000 outsourced workers is an incremental move that tests the reaction of the market, unions, and public opinion before more ambitious proposals that would affect millions of private sector workers.
The legislative path for a broader change is long and uncertain. Any alteration to the standard workweek in the private sector would require approval in the National Congress, where the government faces a fragmented allied base and an opposition that tends to classify the measure as populist. For the 40,000 outsourced workers benefiting from Monday’s decree, however, the change is already concrete: fewer hours of work per week, the same salary at the end of the month.
The government reduced the workweek from 44 to 40 hours for 40,000 outsourced workers. Do you think this change should extend to the private sector? Would you work better with fewer weekly hours? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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