July 18, (THEWILL) – In a bid to promote gender equity and provide equal opportunities for its civil servants, Brazil, on Tuesday, announced that it will adjust work schedules to allow employees to watch the upcoming women’s World Cup.
Previously, such concessions had been reserved exclusively for the men’s top-flight football tournament. Under the new measures, employees will be able to start their work days later, enabling them to catch the matches scheduled to begin in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday.
Minister for Management and Innovation, Esther Dweck, highlighted the significance of this decision: “It is a measure of equity to give civil servants wishing to watch the matches the same rights as during the men’s World Cup.” The Brazilian national team’s games will commence at either 7:00 am or 8:00 am Brazilian time due to the time difference. On match days, civil servants will be allowed to report to work up to two hours after the conclusion of the game.
However, the Ministry clarified that employees, who begin work later, must compensate for those hours at a later time during the year. The Central Bank of Brazil has also made adjustments to accommodate the anticipated absence of numerous employees on Monday morning, coinciding with the national team’s first match against Panama in Brisbane.
Consequently, the release of economic output and inflation figures, originally scheduled for that day, has been postponed by one day. While work hours typically change throughout the public and private sectors during the men’s World Cup, this marks the first occasion on which the Brazilian central government has implemented such changes specifically for civil servants to support the women’s World Cup.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
