Brasilagro Expects Limited Impact From Potential 6×1 Workweek Change - World news

The agricultural company expects little direct effect on its payroll, but says changes to outsourced services and farm operations could add costs. It is assessing shift arrangements and says seasonal workloads and an existing hours bank may help it adapt.

Brasilagro expects a potential change to Brazil’s 6×1 work schedule to have a limited direct effect on its payroll, while possibly increasing the cost of outsourced services. CEO André Guillaumon discussed the company’s assessment with journalists during a presentation of its financial results.

Brasilagro has just over 400 employees registered in Brazil. A significant share work in administration and management, mainly in São Paulo, and generally do not work on Saturdays. The company therefore expects a smaller effect on those roles. Its main concern is staff working on farms and in operational jobs, where schedule changes could require new shifts and affect logistics.

Guillaumon pointed to deliveries of agricultural supplies as one possible complication: if a fertilizer truck arrives on a Saturday without a team available to unload it, the carrier may have to wait until Monday, potentially adding transport costs and disrupting operational plans. The company is considering options such as shifts and rotating schedules, including for outsourced workers such as machinery operators and tractor drivers.

While Brasilagro expects limited direct payroll costs, Guillaumon said service providers may face higher expenses as they reorganize working hours. Some of those costs could be passed on to Brasilagro, while providers might absorb the rest through lower margins. The company is including this possibility in its assessment and noted that it could share responsibility for labor obligations involving outsourced workers.

Brasilagro says its use of technology, telemetry and more precise agricultural operations, particularly planting, has reduced its need for labor. It also points to seasonal variation in farm work, with demand changing over the planting, field-management and harvesting calendar, as a potential source of flexibility. The company has used an hours bank negotiated with unions for more than a decade, which Guillaumon said could help it adapt, though it would not resolve every operational challenge. Where flexible hours are not possible, the company could arrange days off.

Brasilagro has not provided a financial estimate for any potential increase in costs. Guillaumon said the effects are still being assessed and will depend on the rules adopted and how service providers reorganize their teams.

Sources: CNN Brasil.