–Olívia de Q. F. Pasqualeto, Professor of Labor Law, FGV São Paulo Law School
The end of the “61 work schedule” – that is, the elimination of a work model in which employees work six days a week and are entitled to only one day off – is one of the labor issues that has most engaged Brazilian workers in recent years. The “Life Beyond Work” (Vida Além do Trabalho – VAT) movement, created by City Councilman Ricardo Azevedo, has had a strong presence on social media and in demonstrations across cities. VAT was mobilized not only by traditional labor leaders, such as union officials, but also by other political leaders focused on social issues, which helped attract attention from various sectors.
The reduction of working hours and the consequent increase in free time for personal life are not recent demands. They are, in fact, among the main demands of workers—globally—since the emergence of the first labor laws and are a constituent element of the notion of decent work, long advocated by the International Labor Organization.[1] However, at this moment in Brazil, the issue has reached its legal peak, having become the subject of a highly prominent constitutional amendment proposal (Proposta de Emenda Constitucional – PEC): PEC 8/2025, proposed by Congresswoman Erika Hilton.
The Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 provides in Article 7, item XIII, that “the normal workday shall not exceed eight hours, and the workweek shall not exceed forty-four hours.” Although there are...
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