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Collective Agreement Changes the Operation of Food Retail and the Construction Sector in Espírito Santo, with a Direct Impact on Work Schedules and Weekend Shopping Routines by Defining Sunday Closures for a Determined Period and Maintaining Exceptions for Small Businesses without Formal Employees.
Starting this Sunday (01), supermarkets and other food retail establishments in Espírito Santo will stop opening to the public on this day, according to a collective agreement signed between Fecomércio-ES and the Union of Retail Workers of the state.
The restriction affects units with formally hired employees and also applies to the retail trade of construction materials, with the rule included in the 2025–2027 Collective Bargaining Agreement and with specific validity until October 31, 2026.
What Changes in the Routine of Espírito Santo Commerce
According to the negotiated text, work on Sundays is prohibited for employees of food companies, a category that includes hypermarkets, supermarkets, self-services, wholesalers, “atacarejos,” grocery stores, and fruit and vegetable vendors, even when the stores operate in shopping centers.
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In practice, the measure reorganizes the operation of the sector on one of the busiest days and alters the work schedule of thousands of workers, establishing Sunday as a day without public service in these segments during the agreed period.
Affected Establishments and Exceptions for Small Businesses
The prohibition targets medium and large food retailers and reaches chains with a presence in multiple cities in the state, as well as units located in shopping centers that, by default, operate with extended hours throughout the entire week.
On the other hand, the agreement does not prevent small family businesses from operating on Sundays when there are no employees with formal contracts, preserving the operations of neighborhood stores that depend on the owners’ work to keep their doors open.
Bakeries and Butcher Shops Allowed: How Does the Classification Work
Some food-related services are still authorized to operate on Sundays, such as bakeries and butcher shops, because the workers in these establishments are not classified in the same category as the retail workers covered by the clause concerning Sunday closure.
As a result, consumers are likely to find options open in specific segments, while supermarkets and “atacarejos” will close, creating a scenario of unequal operation within the supply sector, depending on the union classification and the type of activity.
Validity Period Until October 31 and Possibility of Revision
The clause that restricts work on Sundays was established with exclusive validity from March 1, 2026 to October 31, 2026, with a provision that, once the period ends, the content loses effectiveness automatically if there is no formal extension through a new collective instrument.
At the end of this period, the negotiating entities must assess the model’s effects to decide whether to maintain the rule, make adjustments, or end the Sunday closure, within the negotiation rounds that usually review economic and operational points.
History of Sunday Closure Between 2009 and 2018
Espírito Santo already adopted a similar model between 2009 and 2018, when supermarkets were closed on Sundays due to a collective agreement, in a period cited by industry entities as a reference for the current discussion on schedules and operations.
In that experience, the lack of labor emerged as one of the factors pointed out to support the closure, a topic that has recently returned to the center of the debate in reports from entrepreneurs about hiring difficulties and filling positions in retail.
Salary Adjustment, Minimum Wage, and Food Aid in the Agreement
In addition to the operating rules, the agreement established a 7% salary adjustment, with updates to remuneration and a definition of new minimum wage of R$ 1,650 for retail employees in the state, according to the base date provided in the collective instrument.
The agreement also includes a monthly food aid of R$ 150, aimed at specific segments covered by the agreement, emphasizing that the negotiation was not limited to the Sunday issue and included items that directly impact the worker’s budget.
Rules for Holidays: What Can and Cannot Be Done
In the case of holidays, the collective text authorizes work on federal, state, and municipal dates, but establishes exceptions where work cannot be required, explicitly excluding Christmas, New Year’s, and Labor Day, as mentioned in the document’s calendar.
This combination of rules creates a framework where Sunday becomes, for certain categories, a protected day free from public service for a defined period, while some holidays remain open for business, as long as the agreed conditions are respected.
Debate on Convenience and Weekly Rest in the Sector
The change has circulated strongly among consumers and merchants as it disrupts established habits, especially in cities where Sunday is a peak day for replenishment shopping, visits to malls, and family outings that often include a trip to the supermarket.
From the union side, the central justification is the pursuit of more regular weekly rest and reduced hours in intensive schedules, in a sector where weekend work is common and tends to impact the employee’s family life.
How Sunday Closures Can Redistribute Demand
With Sunday off the opening calendar for supermarkets and “atacarejos,” the trend is that demand will be redistributed to other days, requiring adjustments to schedules and increased service during peak hours, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
Meanwhile, street commerce and stores allowed to open on Sundays maintain normal operations, which could concentrate some of the movement in sectors unaffected by the closure, while also amplifying the operational differences between retail categories.
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