END OF THE 6X1 SCHEDULE AND ITS REFLECTIONS IN PRACTICE

End of the 6x1 schedule: what changes, until when to adapt, and its impacts 

It is now official: the National Congress has promulgated Constitutional Amendment No. 141/2026, which ends the 6x1 schedule. The maximum workweek is reduced from 44 to 40 hours, with two days of paid rest per week and no salary reduction.

This is a significant change that affects the routine of both companies and workers at the same time. So let's get to the point: deadlines, obligations for employers, and rights for workers.

Adjustment Timeline

The transition occurs in stages:

• By ~December 15, 2026 (60 days from promulgation): mandatory 5x2 schedule (five days of work, two days of rest) and maximum workweek reduced to 42 hours.
• By December 2027 (14 months from promulgation): maximum workweek of 40 hours, with a daily limit of 8 hours.
• Outsourced companies providing services to the Public Authority: specific rule, with a deadline of up to 12 months, linked to the amendment of the contract with the Administration.

If you are an employer

• The salary must be maintained. Those who received for 44 hours will continue to receive the same amount for 42 and then for 40 hours.
• Collective agreements that provide for 44 hours will lose validity after 60 days and will need to be renegotiated.
• Review now schedules, time tracking, time bank, and any need for new hires. Waiting until December is asking for labor liabilities to knock at your door.

If you are a worker

• You will have the right to two weekly days off and, at the end of the transition, a maximum of 40 hours per week.
• Your salary cannot be reduced due to the new work schedule. And, since the remuneration remains the same, the basis for your contributions to the INSS also remains, which is important for your future benefits.
• Those who already work 40 hours, Monday to Friday, will not have a new mandatory reduction.

It is important to pay attention to two practical points. First: if the company reduces the work schedule and, along with it, reduces the salary or "adjusts" the remuneration by suppressing bonuses, this contradicts the amendment and can be challenged. Second: hours worked beyond the new limit will be considered overtime — and time tracking is your main proof. Keep your records.

In summary

• The 6x1 schedule is over; the rule will be 5x2 and the workweek will decrease, in stages, from 44 to 40 hours.
• There are two main deadlines: 60 days for the 5x2 schedule with 42 hours, and 14 months for the 40 hours.
• Salary is maintained for everyone, which also preserves the basis for the worker's social security contributions.
• Companies need to review schedules and collective agreements now; workers need to monitor time and payroll.

Do you have questions about how the change affects your company, your contract, or your rights? Each situation has its particularities, and individual analysis is what prevents surprises down the line.

Cinara Rocha | Associated Lawyers — a firm focused on Social Security Law and on the execution and collection of executive titles. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace individual case analysis.