WORK BREAKS, WEEKLY PAID REST, VACATION AND THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT IN BRAZILIAN LABOR LAW

Abstract

This study examines the main legal mechanisms aimed at protecting workers’ rest in Brazilian labor law, with emphasis on intra-shift and inter-shift breaks, weekly paid rest, annual vacation and the right to disconnect. It is a theoretical, bibliographical and documentary research based on the analysis of the Federal Constitution, the Consolidation of Labor Laws, Law No. 605/1949, Decree No. 27.048/1949, contemporary labor law doctrine, and institutional materials from the Superior Labor Court and the Chamber of Deputies. The objective is to demonstrate that rest time is not a mere interruption of labor, but an essential element for protecting health, dignity and the legal limitation of employer power. The findings indicate that Brazilian legislation establishes minimum standards for breaks during the workday, between workdays and throughout the week, in addition to guaranteeing paid annual vacation with a constitutional bonus. It was also found that the right to disconnect, although not yet expressly and generally regulated in the CLT under that terminology, has become a relevant topic in doctrinal and legislative debate, especially in the context of telework and digital hyperconnectivity. It is concluded that rest-related mechanisms occupy a central place in the effectiveness of fundamental labor rights and in the preservation of workers’ physical and mental health.