The arrival of Carnival always brings doubts for business owners and managers: is Ash Wednesday a holiday or an optional holiday? How should employees' working hours be handled during this period? The answer is that Ash Wednesday is not a national holiday, and its observance depends on local regulations and internal company policies.   

Federal Law No. 662/49 does not recognize Ash Wednesday as a holiday, leaving the decision up to states and municipalities. Thus, while some localities declare a holiday as optional, others maintain normal working hours. For federal public servants, for example, Ordinance MGI No. 9,783/2024 establishes a holiday as optional until 2 p.m. In several capitals, the municipal administration has decided to make working hours more flexible, such as in São Paulo, where working hours start at noon.  

In the private sector, the definition of working hours is up to the company itself and can be negotiated internally with employees. Some alternatives for managing working hours include implementing an individual or collective time bank, allowing hours not worked on the morning of Ash Wednesday to be compensated later. This model requires a formal agreement and can be negotiated individually or through a collective agreement. Another option is to establish specific agreements for seasonal periods, allowing for the prior or subsequent compensation of hours off. This alternative is valid to avoid impacts on productivity without generating extra costs with overtime pay.   

Furthermore, since Ash Wednesday is not a holiday, companies can continue with normal business hours, ensuring that employees report to work without the need for compensation. If they choose to release employees, this must be agreed without loss of salary, as required by labor law.  

Our team of experts is prepared to help your company implement the best working hours management tools, ensuring legal compliance and flexibility for your business.