The South of Brazil would be the region most affected by increased costs if the proposal to eliminate the 6x1 work shift is approved, according to a study by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).
A report from the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) projects that the South region of Brazil would face the most significant financial impact if a proposal to eliminate the 6x1 work shift is enacted. The report estimates that businesses would incur an additional cost of approximately R$ 54.38 billion, reflecting an 8.1% increase. This is attributed to the necessity of paying four hours of overtime per week to employees in order to maintain productivity levels, should the standard workweek be reduced from 44 to 40 hours.
In addition, the report highlights that if companies opt to hire new workers instead of compensating existing staff through overtime, the costs would still rise, but by a lesser extent of R$ 36.25 billion (4.5%). This underscores the widespread implications of cutting the workweek on labor costs across different regions of Brazil. The CNI's findings are based on data from the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS) for 2024, which served as the foundation for calculating these figures.
The analysis reveals that the South has a larger percentage of employees currently working beyond the 40-hour week, with 67.2% of workers in the region potentially benefiting from this legislative change, compared to 61.4% in the Southeast and 55.7% in the Central-West region. The substantial financial burden projected for the South signals potential challenges for businesses within the region and raises critical questions about labor policies affecting productivity and economic stability in Brazil.
