CCJ approves proposal that allows change of weekly time off for religious reasons

The Constitution and Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies approved, on Wednesday (8), a proposal that allows employees to change their day off during the week for religious reasons. The article now goes to the Senate.

According to the Chamber, the text establishes that the change must be agreed together with the employer, without causing losses or burdens to the worker who requests the change request.

The proposal requires that the employee’s absence for religious reasons must be communicated in advance. It guarantees that, if the employer does not accept the request, the worker will be able to terminate the contract without prejudice to the time worked and assured rights.

In addition to allowing the change of rest day in the week, the proposal also allows the employee to compensate for the period not worked by increasing daily hours or shifts.

In justification, the author of Bill 3346/19, Wolney Queiroz (PDT-PE), emphasizes that the influence of Christianity has made it usual for Sundays off, but that this trend does not follow other religions such as Judaism and Islam, for example .

Representative Erika Kokay (PT-DF), during the debate at the CCJ, gave as an example the case of Seventh-day Adventists, who do not work on Saturdays. “The project allows them to have the Sabbath off, so that they do not violate the religious precepts, and carry out the work on another date”, declared the deputy.

The Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) decrees that every employee is entitled to a weekly 24-hour day off on Sundays, which may occur on other dates only for “public convenience or urgent need for the service”.

However, if the proposal passes the Senate, the CLT will be changed, so that religious can ensure legal reasons for a change in their mandatory weekly time off according to their dogmas.