Recently, the debate surrounding the 6x1 work schedule has gained considerable momentum again, both online and in the streets. This happened after Congresswoman Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) proposed a constitutional amendment (PEC) requesting a reduction in the work week from 44 to 36 hours and the end of the 6x1 schedule. However, if this proposal is approved, what will happen next?
The first thing people need to understand is that the end of the 6x1 schedule does not mean generalized weekend off and that all services – especially commerce – will stop on Saturdays and Sundays. After all, there are work shifts, and company employees will have to divide their time, possibly working on weekends, as long as both days count towards the new 5x2 schedule.
However, this reduction may be a challenge for many organizations already accustomed to this work schedule model, which will need time to organize themselves, as it is likely that they will need to hire new employees, but this requires recalculating their budget and making investments. And we know that from the moment it hits entrepreneurs in the pocket, it might not work very well at first glance.
A survey conducted by Pontotel, a time and attendance management company in Brazil, with more than 500,000 employees registered on its time tracking platform, states that the end of the 6x1 schedule could impact millions of workers and companies in the country. According to the research, this model predominates in some sectors: Accommodation and food services (69%), Commerce (49.9%), and Administrative activities (35.1%).
Generally, areas that require continuous work, such as healthcare, tend to follow different schedules and there is no possibility of them abandoning the 6x1 or any other schedule. Many doctors work shifts of 36 and even 48 hours straight, depending on the demand at the hospital and their own availability, so they cannot fit into this new model.
The truth is that everything involving the Brazilian labor scenario needs to be evaluated very carefully and without haste. An approval without proper discussion and analysis of large-scale impacts will be worse not only for the entrepreneur but also for the worker, since it is the entrepreneur who generates employment, not the government.
Ideally, there should be a balance so that neither the entrepreneur nor the employees in general are harmed; however, a middle ground must be found. In this sense, it is extremely important that company managers begin to assess their current situation so that they know what to do if the end of the 6x1 work schedule actually occurs in the near future.
How would the potential end of the 6x1 work schedule affect my company?
