Luxury hotels across the country have begun adopting two days off per week for their employees, an unprecedented move in the industry. The Copacabana Palace, in Rio de Janeiro, and the Palácio Tangará, in São Paulo, implemented the 5×2 scale this year, with objectives related to well-being and the attraction of professionals, according to the management of the companies.
At the Copacabana Palace, the new scale has been in place since May 2025 for the governance, catering, kitchen and accommodation teams. The change maintains the weekly load, but guarantees two consecutive days of rest. Only security personnel remain in the 12×36 regime.
The Palácio Tangará adopted the 5×2 for all employees on October 1st. The hotel also reduced its workload from 44 to 42 hours per week and hired 27 new employees. The expected annual investment to support this project amounts to 2 million reais.
According to Guillaume Lemarchand, human resources director of the Copacabana Palace, the implementation took place in stages. “We started with a phased implementation, department by department, which allowed us to replan staffing and teams before each phase. »
He affirms that the period of works in the swimming pool area helped in this process, because it was possible to take advantage of the period of lower occupancy of the hotel.
Copacabana Palace general manager Ulisses Marreiros says the aim is to strengthen welfare policies. “The excellence that we offer our customers comes from the care given to our teams.”
The hotel says it has not yet needed to make additional hires, also due to reduced operations during the work. According to management, reinforcements could take place once the work is completed, scheduled for September 2026.
Copacabana Palace also highlights that this change is part of the development programs offered by Belmond, the parent company of LVMH, such as online courses, training and management qualifications in partnership with Harvard Business School, as well as internal initiatives for inclusion and professional recognition.
In the case of Palácio Tangará, the decision was approved after a meeting held on August 20, in the presence of management, lawyers and union representatives. The hotel says 89% of employees voted in favor of the new system.
“No other luxury hotel in São Paulo offers the 5×2 scale to 100% of its employees,” says Celso Valle, general manager of Tangará.
The change also incorporates a package of benefits, including childcare support for six months after returning from maternity leave.
The hotel said the process took nearly a year of study, with ten months of negotiation, budget approval, lawyers, employee meetings and bargaining with the union.
According to human resources consultant Lucila Quintino, who works with hotel chains, companies that maintain six work days with one day off have difficulty attracting professionals. “Today, every professional is looking for a balance between professional and personal life.”
“This trend is a path of no return. We see a minority of hotels and restaurants working two days off per week, but it is a path that everyone will have to follow,” he says.
For her, the adoption of high-end brands has an impact on the market. “As our luxury market is very small in Brazil, if the rest of the luxury market does not do this, it will no longer be able to attract professionals.”
The ABIH-SP (Brazilian Association of the Hospitality Industry of São Paulo) will publish, on December 15, the results of a survey on the work schedules adopted in the state and the implementation of digital registration.
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