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Statements made by Luciano Hang during the opening of Havan in Taquara expanded the debate on labor shortage, hiring of the elderly, criticisms of Bolsa Família, and salaries offered by the retail chain amid the company’s expansion in Rio Grande do Sul.
Founder and owner of Havan, Luciano Hang stated that the chain has been hiring elderly and retired workers to tackle the labor shortage in the country, in addition to criticizing welfare programs during the store’s inauguration in Taquara, in the Vale do Paranhana, on Saturday (30).
The statement was made during a press conference at the opening of the unit, when the businessman mentioned employees of different ages and linked the difficulty of filling vacancies to the fact that part of the population remains outside the formal labor market.
According to Hang, Havan has started to increase the hiring of older people, including professionals over 70 years old, as an alternative to fill positions in the chain’s stores spread across different regions of the country.
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“Today we are placing here people who are 77 years old, 72 years old, 62 years old. I think a person’s age is not in their appearance, it’s in their mind,” said Hang when commenting on the hiring policy adopted by the company.
Luciano Hang criticizes Bolsa Família and mentions salaries of up to R$ 5,000
When discussing the search for workers, Hang said that entrepreneurs from various sectors report difficulties in hiring and associated this scenario with the payment of social benefits by the federal government, especially Bolsa Família.
“There is a labor shortage in the country today. Everyone is complaining. Bolsa Família, too much welfare. People get used to living with R$ 600, while they could work with us to earn R$ 3,000, R$ 4,000, R$ 5,000,” he declared.
Aimed at families in situations of social vulnerability, Bolsa Família serves millions of beneficiaries in Brazil and provides a minimum amount of R$ 600 per family, in addition to additional amounts according to family composition, such as children, teenagers, and pregnant women.
In May 2026, according to data released by the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, the program reached 19.08 million families, had a total expenditure of R$ 12.9 billion, and recorded an average benefit of R$ 678.01.
On the same occasion, the company presented the new store to the public of Vale do Paranhana, a region that received the unit with great consumer movement from the first hours of operation.
Hiring of the elderly at Havan gains prominence in Taquara
During the interview, the businessman stated that many retirees still show willingness to continue working and see formal employment as an opportunity to resume personal and professional plans in a new stage of life.
“People who retired, sometimes very early, today feel capable of changing their lives again through work. It is the restart of many lives that we are doing all over Brazil,” he said.
For Hang, age should not be used as a barrier to keep workers out of the market, especially in sectors that face difficulty in hiring, forming teams, and maintaining operations.
In the businessman’s assessment, older professionals can fill positions that remain open due to a lack of interest, while maintaining an active routine through work.
“So we are employing older people, because these people are fit to work and come to fill this gap of labor shortage that we have,” he added.
Rules for young people in the labor market were also questioned
In addition to criticizing Bolsa Família and what he called welfare, Hang questioned the Brazilian rules for the entry of young people into the formal labor market and stated that he considers the current restrictions excessive.
“I think we made a mistake in this country by allowing people to work only at 18 years of age,” declared the businessman during the press conference in Taquara.
According to Brazilian legislation, teenagers can be hired from the age of 14 as apprentices, with specific rules regarding working hours, schooling, and protection of the young worker’s development.
Outside of the apprenticeship contract, formal hiring follows limitations related to age, the type of activity performed, and working conditions, especially in dangerous, unhealthy, or night-time functions.
Without detailing proposals, Hang used the speech to advocate for greater flexibility in labor relations and linked this point to the difficulty faced by companies in completing teams in different areas of the economy.
Havan of Taquara attracts consumers in Vale do Paranhana
The opening of the Havan of Taquara attracted hundreds of consumers and marked the arrival of the retail chain to Vale do Paranhana, a region formed by municipalities with strong commercial ties and daily circulation of residents between neighboring cities.
Among the visitors, there were reports of interest in the variety of products, prices, and the store’s structure, as well as the expectation created by the installation of a unit of the chain in a regional influence area.
Part of the audience also attended the event due to the presence of Luciano Hang, who often participates in Havan openings and attracts consumers interested in witnessing the store openings.
Presented by the company as part of the network’s expansion in Rio Grande do Sul, the new unit welcomed consumers right after the doors opened, in a typical movement of openings promoted by the retailer.
Besides visiting the commercial space, the event included moments of interaction between the businessman, employees, and customers, with a highlight on older employees mentioned by Hang during the press conference.
Work, income, and social assistance return to the center of the debate
The statements from the owner of Havan brought together three significant themes in the Brazilian public debate: the supply of labor, the permanence of the elderly in the workforce, and the role of income transfer programs.
By mentioning salaries of up to R$ 5,000 in the network, Hang sought to contrast the remuneration offered by the company with the minimum value of Bolsa Família, although the benefit is intended for families that meet income and social vulnerability criteria.
The rules of the federal program do not prevent beneficiaries from working with a formal contract, but they provide for criteria of permanence and registration review when family income changes, according to the norms applied by the government.
The hiring of elderly and retired individuals, in turn, reflects a trend observed in different sectors, where more experienced workers remain active due to financial necessity, personal interest, or professional opportunity.
At Havan, Hang presented this practice as a response to the lack of labor, while the opening in Taquara served as a stage for criticisms of welfare policies and Brazilian labor legislation.
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