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A topic that gained momentum on social media and became the target of a PEC (proposed constitutional amendment), the end of the 6×1 scale is supported by 64% of Brazilians, while 33% say they are against the change and 3% do not know how to respond, according to Datafolha research.
On December 12th and 13th, the institute asked whether the workload in which the maximum limit for those with a formal contract is 44 hours a week and six days a week should be reduced.
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70% said they believed that the ideal journey would have to be five days, 17% said six and 7% mentioned four. A maximum daily working day of up to eight hours is considered ideal by 82% and only 7% suggest eight to 12 hours.
The percentage of those who disapprove of the reduction is higher among men (40%), while 70% of women are in favor – in this case, the margin of error is three percentage points.
There are also differences between different age groups. Among those aged 60 and over, 48% are against reducing working hours. Meanwhile, 81% of those aged 16 to 24 say it should be reduced. The margin of error is five percentage points.
This position also varies depending on monthly family income: if the interviewee earns up to two minimum wages (or R$2,824), 68% want a reduction; of those who earn more than five minimum wages (R$7,060), 43% are against it – with margins of three and six points, respectively.
The reduction also has more support among respondents who declare themselves black (72%) and mixed race (66%) than among those who are white (59%) – these groups have margins of error, respectively, of five, three and four points.
2,002 people aged 16 or over were interviewed in 113 municipalities across the country. For the total sample, the margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points, and the confidence level is 95%.
The debate about the 6×1 scale gained strength with a PEC by congresswoman Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP). The proposal is to adopt a 36-hour week, divided into four days.
For researcher Naercio Menezes Filho, from Insper, it is understandable that most people want to reduce their working hours, and thus gain time to spend with their family and more opportunities for leisure.
“Changing to a 4×3 scale is very drastic, the impacts on companies would be too great, but it is reasonable to move to a maximum of 5×2, of eight hours with overtime pay above that and the possibility of having two days of time off to dedicate time to your children, for example.”
He highlights that this greater possibility of living with their parents would be important for child development, which would increase productivity in the future, and the low productivity of Brazilian workers, on average, is one of the main arguments of those who say against the reduction .
“The discussion of productivity, in general, is associated with the worker, but it is the relationship between technology and work. We have a workforce with an educational and technological lag, but we should have, for the second consecutive year, industrial growth and we can make a leap in terms of productivity”, argues Clemente Ganz Lúcio, from Dieese (Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies).
The reduction in working hours was highlighted on the networks as one of the few recent issues that managed to unite left and right in the country, with demonstrations by politicians from both camps in its favor.
A lower maximum workload is supported by 73% of those interviewed by Datafolha who said they voted for President Lula (PT) in the second round in 2022, but also by 53% of those who opted for Jair Bolsonaro (PL) at that time – the margins are three and four points, respectively.
Another of the main discussions surrounding the project concerns how the maximum working hours should be defined, whether by law or negotiation between employers and employees.
According to Datafolha, 58% point out that the definition must be through legislation, 39% suggest that it be negotiated between employers and workers and 3% do not know.
“The first challenge is to reduce from 44 hours to 40 hours, and several agreements and conventions have already moved in this direction. It could be a reduction of one hour per year, so that companies adapt”, says the Dieese sociologist.
Fernando de Holanda Barbosa Filho, researcher at FGV Ibre (Brazilian Institute of Economics of the Getulio Vargas Foundation), considers that workers in some sectors that have a 6×1 scale, such as commerce, earn a fixed salary, but also depend on commissions .
“If he works fewer hours, he also loses income. An interesting question would be whether the person is willing to work fewer hours to earn less, many of them are not fully informed.”
“The question we have to ask is whether Brazilian companies have the capacity to absorb this cost. Large ones should be able to do this, but some smaller ones may close or lay off employees, and this also needs to be debated”, says Barbosa Filho.
He also considers it an error that the topic is treated in an imposing manner, without considering the reality of different companies and sectors.
“It’s a problem when legislation affects sectors in which flexibility reduces the company’s productivity. When a measure becomes mandatory, it can have undesirable effects.”
