Is Good Friday a holiday or optional? | Brazil

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A Good fridaywhich this year falls on March 29th, is a National holiday stipulated by Federal Lei nº 9,093/1995. With this, both public and private sector workers will be able to rest on the day.

Some professionals, however, will have to work on Friday, under a work agreement or because they are from essential sectors. In these cases, workers will be paid overtime, as explained by Josi Soares Castro, labor lawyer at Rayes & Fagundes Advogados Associados.

“As a rule, employees are not obliged to work on civil or religious holidays, with the exception of some activities that are authorized by law or collective agreement on Sundays and holidays, such as, for example, commerce and industry. In these situations, remuneration must be made through overtime,” he said.

The lawyer also points out that an employee whose activity is required by agreement and who refuses to work on that day may have their absence considered as an unjustified absence with a discount on their remuneration.

Good Friday is a Catholic holiday that commemorates the day Jesus Christ was crucified. The date comes two days before Easter Sunday, when his resurrection took place.

Will there be a holiday on Maundy Thursday?

Although Thursday (28) is not a national holiday, it is also a date of celebration of the Catholic religion, Maundy Thursday.

Castro explains that on this date there is normal work for everyone, except in municipalities and states that declare a holiday or optional period, for public servants, and in companies that decide to adopt rest on the day, for private employees.

The state of Rio Grande do Norte, for example, decreed an optional point for public servants. The Federal District adopted the same stance. In São Paulo, on the other hand, there is no holiday or optional period on March 28th.

The lawyer also explains that it is up to the private company to decide whether or not to give its workers rest when there is no holiday. In the public sector, internal regulations must be followed.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the institution of the Eucharist — when bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ in the Catholic Church.

Is Easter Sunday a public holiday?

Like Thursday, Easter Sunday is also not a national holiday. As a result, workers who carry out their activities on Sundays will continue with their schedule unchanged.

“Easter Sunday is not considered a national holiday, therefore, employees who are obliged to work on Sundays, depending on their category, must follow the work schedule provided for in the employment contract, agreement or collective bargaining agreement”, Castro said.

How to calculate overtime?

If the professional is obliged to work on a national holiday, such as Good Friday, or on a day that their convention does not oblige them to carry out their activity, they must be paid overtime.

Castro points out that overtime on national holidays must be calculated with a 100% increase over the normal hourly rate or a higher additional hour if provided for in the Collective Labor Agreement.

Double payment on holidays is provided for by the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) in its article 70. It is also possible for the employer to compensate the hours on another day.

Considering that Good Friday is a national holiday, banks will not have opening hours during the day.

Therefore, if there are due dates on March 29th, the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) guides customers to preferably use digital channels, such as bank websites and apps, to make transfers and pay bills on days when there are no opening hours at the branches.

In addition, payment slips and utility bills (such as water, energy, telephone, etc.) due on holidays, or on the last business day of the year, may be paid without an increase on the following business day.

*Intern under the supervision of Diogo Max