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The end of the 6×1 schedule: what changes in practice?

PEC 221/2019 APPROVED: The rules have changed; the task now is to adapt work schedules without creating legal liabilities.

On the evening of last Wednesday (October 14, 2026), the Senate approved PEC 221/2019, without altering the text passed by the Chamber of Deputies. Learn about the impacts of this measure on companies.

The proposal—which mandates the end of the 6×1 schedule (a model consisting of six days of work followed by one day of rest) and amends Article 7 of the Constitution to establish a 40-hour weekly limit—represents one of the most significant shifts in recent labor legislation.
As this is a constitutional amendment, it does not require presidential sanction; the text will proceed directly to promulgation by Congress.
In the face of high-impact legislative updates, immediate monitoring and proactive technical analysis are essential for corporations to understand transition scenarios and adjust their operational routines with legal certainty.

What changes in practice

• 40-hour workweek: The limit is reduced from 44 to 40 hours, while maintaining the 8-hour daily cap.
• Two days of rest: Two days of paid weekly rest, with one of these preferably falling on a Sunday.
• No salary reduction: Wages and salary floors cannot be reduced as a result of the new working hours.

TRANSITION: It does not happen overnight.

The transition will not occur overnight; it includes specific stages for adjusting work schedules:

• 60 days after promulgation: A 42-hour weekly limit and two days of rest.
• 12 months later: The definitive 40-hour limit.

During this interim period, collective bargaining agreements and conventions will play a key role in redistributing working hours and reorganizing schedules.

What remains

Alternative work schedules, such as the 12×36 shift pattern, remain permitted, as do compensatory time-off arrangements and “time banks” (banked hours), in accordance with the law and collective bargaining agreements.

FittipaldiGômara Advogados closely monitors the national landscape and updates to labor regulations.