Labor & Employment | Edition 04

08.07.2025

Key Highlights

Agribusiness

Resolution No. 62/2025 of the Federal Council of Agricultural Technicians has been released, establishing the Code of Ethics and Discipline for the profession in its various modalities. Ethical violations outlined in the new code may serve as grounds for dismissal with cause in employment relationships involving agribusiness companies and such professionals.

Collective Bargaining for Meal Break Reduction

The Third Panel of the Superior Labor Court (SLC) upheld a clause in a collective labor agreement that splits the intra-workday break into two periods: 45 and 15 minutes. Compliant with Supreme Federal Court’s (STF) stance, SLC affirmed that collective agreements may modify break arrangements as long as the minimum 30-minute break required by the Labor Code is compliant.

Extended Maternity Leave and Benefits

Law No. 15,156/2025 has been enacted, amending the Labor Code and the Federal Social Security Benefits Law to extend maternity leave and maternity pay by 60 days, and to grant a total of 20 days of paid leave to employees giving birth to or adopting a child with a permanent disability resulting from a congenital syndrome linked to Zika virus infection.

Forced Labor

The Senate Plenary has approved Legislative Decree No. 33/2023, updating the Elective Protocol to International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 29 on forced or compulsory labor. Adopted in 2014 and in force in Brazil since 2016, the updated protocol introduces specific protections for children and incorporates a gender perspective to address the heightened vulnerability of women and girls in such conditions.

Health Professions – Elder Care

The Committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Elderly of the House of Representatives has approved a substitute bill (Bill No. 203/2025) governing the profession of elderly caregivers in Brazil. Requirements include a minimum age of 18, completion of primary education, and completion of a specific training course provided by an institution acknowledged by the Ministry of Education, with workload and curriculum defined upon future regulation. Individuals with at least two years of documented experience in the field prior to the law’s issuance may continue in the profession. Work schedules may follow a 12×36 shift model or a standard 40-hour week / 8-hour day, and apply to employees, freelancers, and individual microentrepreneurs. The bill will be reviewed conclusively by the Health Committee and the Constitution and Justice Committee before proceeding to the Senate.

International Labor Mobility

The Senate Plenary has ratified Legislative Decree No. 292/2024, which endorses the Framework Agreement for Talent Mobility within the Ibero-American Zone, signed in 2021. The agreement aims to ease up talent mobility and promote the transfer of knowledge, scientific output, and innovation across the region. From the labor standpoint, It applies to (i) executives or specialists transferred between company branches; (ii) qualified technical professionals under temporary contracts; and (iii) investors or entrepreneurs with high-impact projects. Besides Brazil, signatories include Andorra, Argentina, Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, and Portugal. The decree now awaits presidential promulgation.

Labor Inspection

Ordinance No. 1,131/2025 from the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MLE) was released, updating the table of variable fines applicable in labor inspection procedures (e.g., involving subjects as: failure to register workers’ engagement in individual employment booklets “CTPS”; delays in salary and severance payments, discriminatory practices, digital “FGTS” issues, and errors in eSocial bookkeeping filings). The updated fine values adopt more objective criteria, primarily: (i) number of affected employees; (ii) severity of the violation; (iii) recurrence; (iv) employer’s financial size; and (v) employer’s conduct during inspection.

Paid Leave for Blood Donation

The Senate’s Social Affairs Committee approved Bill No. 4,400/2023, allowing employees to take paid time off once every six months to donate blood. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

Payroll-Deductible Loans

The Senate has approved the setting-up of a digital platform called “Worker Credit” centering payroll-deductible loan offers to formal employees, individual microentrepreneurs (IM), domestic workers, rural workers, and app-based workers, as provided in Provisional Measure No. 1,292/2025. Such efforts aim at modernizing individual credit access, which currently relies on agreements between employers and financial institutions. The proposal now awaits presidential sanction.

People with Disabilities (PwD)

Law No. 15,155/2025 has been enacted to include entrepreneurship promotion among the support measures for PwD. Regarding employment relations, the law mandates public authorities to foster the creation and retention of jobs for PwD workers, including part-time positions, especially for those unable to access regular employment opportunities.

Sports Law

The Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee of the House of Representatives has approved Bill No. 229/2022, which grants 120 days of maternity leave to professional athletes. Already passed by the Federal Senate, the bill also provides for the benefit in cases of adoption or legal custody for adoption purposes. The bill was approved conclusively and will proceed to the Senate unless a motion is filed for a plenary vote in the House.

Sunday and Holiday Work

Bill No. 2,728/2025 has been introduced in the Senate to regulate Sunday and holiday work in the trade industry based on individual agreements between employers and employees—without union assistance—while respecting city hall legislation. Employees must be granted paid weekly rest on Sundays at least once every three weeks. The bill is in its initial stage and will be reviewed by several Senate committees before heading to the House.