S01E15 - Decoding Brazil: An Employee Relations Profile
Welcome to the Wild Side, a podcast that discusses the world of modern employee relations ten minutes at a time. This is a country-specific employee relations profile for Brazil. In this episode, host Alan Wild discusses the four main issues human resource managers face, the framework of employee representation, and how employee claims are handled. Alan is the Global Affairs Director of the HR Policy Association, the leading voice in chief human resources offices today.
Brazil is the largest and most populous country in Latin America and has some distinctive features in its employment environment. It is the most litigious country in the world in terms of labor claims. Large companies have thousands of claims on their books going back for long periods and large sums of money tied up in reserves for future rewards or settlements. Employee claims are made after employment has been terminated and out-of-court settlements are non-existent. We look at the complex labor code and recent reforms of this relatively-closed, domestically-dense economy.
Key Takeaways:
- Brazil’s economic history started with sugar production and continues to be heavy in exported agricultural products. [1:13]
- How high-tariffs protect the domestic market in the relatively closed Brazilian economy. [3:44]
- Unpacking Brazil’s notoriously complex labor code. [5:00]
- Trade unions and Federations without active representation. [5:58]
- Former President Tamir’s reforms were unpopular with unions. [7:45]
- What makes Brazil the world leader in employment claims. [9:14]
- Four issues to be cognizant of in Brazil’s employee relations sector. [10:35]