End of six-day working week prompts Brazilian franchises to trial new rotas

Franchise networks in Brazil are reviewing working patterns to adapt their outlets to the end of the six-days-on, one-day-off rota, known locally as 6x1. Saúde Livre Vacinas, OrthoDontic, Puro.Açaí and Academia Corpo e Saúde are among the brands exploring alternatives, with initiatives ranging from impact assessments to trials of new working hours and pilot schemes at company-owned outlets.

Change puts workforce planning on the agenda

According to a report published by the magazine Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Negócios (PEGN) on 24 October 2026, the constitutional amendment ending the six-days-on, one-day-off working pattern was promulgated on 16 October. It provides for two paid rest days each week, preferably including Sunday, with no reduction in pay.

The publication also reports that the maximum working week will be reduced in stages. From 15 December, the limit will fall from 44 to 42 hours. It will reach 40 hours 14 months after the amendment’s publication.

Among the networks interviewed by the magazine, planning involves reorganising rotas, analysing outlet footfall data and adopting technology. Their shared concern is to maintain service without putting excessive pressure on operating costs.

The initiatives are, however, at different stages. While one network is already trying out alternatives, others are still assessing the impact or organising their first pilot schemes. The accounts do not suggest a single working pattern that could be applied across all outlets.

Clinics assess rotating shifts and advise franchisees

At Saúde Livre Vacinas, which has more than 140 clinics in operation, initial trials began early in the second half of 2026. The assessment takes into account both the characteristics of each clinic and employees’ preferences.

Rosane Orth Argenta, the network’s co-founder and CEO, told PEGN that a rotating five-days-on, two-days-off rota was likely to be the most widely used option. A pattern of 12 hours on followed by 36 hours off is also under consideration, but only where it is suitable and has been confirmed as legally compliant.

The trials have not yet established a preferred approach. According to Argenta, the company had not identified any practical differences in benefits or outcomes between the two models being tested. That caveat makes clear that the assessment is ongoing, rather than a final decision on staffing arrangements.

At OrthoDontic, a dental network with more than 350 clinics, discussions began in May. According to Flávia Teixeira, the network’s People and Management manager, the franchisor sent initial guidance to franchisees on 16 October so they could begin assessing the impact and planning adjustments at their clinics.

The clinics currently operate from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, with appointments also available on Saturdays. This schedule is the starting point for designing new working patterns, which were still being developed at the time of the report.

Food chain prepares pilots at company-owned outlets

At Puro.Açaí, a chain based in the Brazilian state of Ceará with 82 outlets nationwide, matching staff availability to peak trading hours is central to its planning.

The brand set up a committee in August to study the impact of the change. It told PEGN that it intended to launch pilot schemes in the following months, starting with company-owned outlets.

The announced plans therefore concern preparations for trials, rather than a completed rollout across the network. The report provides neither results from these pilots nor a final rota for Puro.Açaí outlets.

The case highlights a common feature of the initiatives described: before settling on a new arrangement, franchisors are seeking to understand how working hours align with customer demand at each operation.

Gyms consider relief staff and November trials

Academia Corpo e Saúde, which has 40 locations, typically operates from 6am to 10pm on most days. Adjustments could affect a range of roles, including receptionists, cleaners and fitness instructors.

Patrícia Madeira, the chain’s director of expansion and franchising, told the publication that hiring relief staff to cover days off might be necessary. That possibility, however, still depends on a review of rotas and an assessment of staffing needs. The stated plan is to begin the first practical trials in November.

For franchisees, the practical advice is to identify peak trading hours, review cover for each role and discuss alternatives with the franchisor and employment law advisers before changing working hours or deciding to recruit.