Recently, the debate around the 6×1 scale has gained considerable strength, both on the internet and in the streets. This happened after Deputy Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) made a constitutional amendment proposal (PEC), requesting the reduction of the workweek from 44 to 36 hours and the end of the 6×1 scale. However, if this proposal is approved, what will happen going forward?
The first thing people need to understand is that the end of the 6×1 scale does not mean a generalized weekend break and that all services – especially commerce – will stop on Saturday and Sunday. After all, there are work shifts, and company employees will have to divide themselves, being able to work on the weekend, but provided both days are included in the new 5×2 scale.
However, this reduction may be a challenge for a large part of the organizations that are already accustomed to this work schedule model and may need time to organize themselves, as it is likely to require hiring additional staff, but this entails recalculating and making investments. And we know that once it weighs on entrepreneurs’ finances, it may not work out very well at first glance.
A survey conducted by Pontotel, a time and attendance management company in Brazil, with over 500,000 employees registered on its time platform, states that the end of the 6×1 scale can 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 health, tend to follow different schedules and have no possibility of not adopting the 6×1 or any other. Many doctors work shifts of 36 to even 48 consecutive hours, everything varies according to the hospital’s demand 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, as those who create jobs are them and not the government.
The ideal scenario is for there to be a balance so that entrepreneurs and employees in general do not end up harmed, but a middle ground must be found. In this sense, it is extremely important for company managers to start evaluating their current situation, so they know what to do if the end of the 6×1 scale actually occurs in the near future.
