Employer of Record Brazil
Brazil Business Culture
Employer of Record Brazil
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Business Culture in Brazil
Anybody considering visiting or relocating to Brazil should familiarise themselves with the cultural norms.
There is no larger country in Latin America or South America than Brazil. Brazil is the seventh-most populous and the fifth-largest country in terms of land area, with over 217 million people spread across its 3.3 million square miles. Brazil is nominally the largest economy in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere. Brazil has a middle-income developing, mixed economy. Brazil had the 12th greatest GDP and 8th largest purchasing power parity in 2022, according to the IMF.
Here is a flavour of the rules and standards of conduct that newcomers to Brazil should be aware of:
It's best not to express frustration or impatience. Self control is a highly desirable trait in Brazil, so keep yourself in check if you want to get on with your Brazilian colleagues
Be warm and engaging. Brazilians are friendly and lively. Openness and participation in these lively conversations may help you fit in.
Brazilians choose indirect communication to prevent confrontation despite their openness and expressiveness. They rarely abruptly alter the topic of a discussion, but rather carefully steer it toward their desired topic.
Brazil Business Culture
When it comes to Brazil business culture, there are a few things to keep in mind to make a good impression:
Do's
- Do be friendly and warm when you first meet someone. Brazilians value personal relationships and are generally very sociable.
- Do take the time to get to know your colleagues and clients on a personal level. Small talk and building rapport are important in Brazilian business culture.
- Do be punctual for meetings, but be prepared for others to be a little late. In Brazil, it's common for people to be a few minutes behind schedule, so try to be patient.
- Do dress well and conservatively. Brazilian business attire tends to be formal, with dark colors and conservative styles.
- Do show respect for authority and hierarchy. Brazilians tend to value authority and seniority, so be sure to show deference to those in positions of power.
Dont's
- Don't be too direct or aggressive in your communication style. Brazilians prefer a more indirect, diplomatic approach to business communication.
- Don't be too formal or distant. Brazilians value personal relationships and warmth, so being too aloof or distant can be off-putting.
- Don't ignore the importance of family and social connections. In Brazil, it's common for business relationships to be influenced by personal connections, so be aware of the role that family and social networks can play.
- Don't assume that business is the only topic of conversation. Brazilians tend to mix business and pleasure, so don't be surprised if your colleagues or clients want to talk about other topics besides work.
- Don't underestimate the importance of language. Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, so it's important to have at least a basic understanding of the language to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.
getting started
Brazil - Working Hours and Overtime
Working Hours
The maximum standard workweek is 44 hours, 8 hours per day, and 4 hours on Saturday. In addition to these statutory maximums, working hours may be further limited by collective agreements, or individual contract.
Overtime
Any hours worked in excess of the maximum standard working week are considered to be overtime and is subject to the terms of the employment contract, collective bargaining agreements, etc...
In general, overtime is only allowed up to 2 hours per day and is paid at a rate of 150% the employee’s standard salary.
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We are Brazil Employer of Record experts
We have extensive experience helping businesses expand their workforce in Brazil. Take a look at our areas of expertise to find out more:
Find out how payroll works in Brazil and what you can expect when it comes to salaries, bonuses and rates of pay
Enhance your understanding of what your employee is entitled to when it comes to Statutory Leave in Brazil
Unsure what’s required when employing staff in Brazil? Find out about Brazil Work Permits and Visas
We deliver a fully-managed EOR Service in Brazil, including Payroll, HR and legal support
Learn more about how you can attract and retain staff in Brazil with both statutory and enhanced employee benefits
Without Agility EOR, our ability to move quickly and scale would be extremely limited. Superb work from A to Z.
Carol Oliveira
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Frequently Asked Questions
Payrolling the employees is a key part of the service offered by an employer of record company. The EOR will calculate and remit all taxes, social securities and similar payments, on behalf of both employer and employee. The client will be invoiced in advance by the EOR company, for the total cost of the payroll.
Yes. Our clients are free to dictate the structure of the employees’ remuneration including any bonuses or commissions they wish to offer. In some countries, there is a statutory requirement to provide “bonuses”, for example in the form of Christmas or holiday allowances.
Yes. Agility EOR will calculate what pay is due upon termination of an employee, factoring in such things as any untaken leave entitlements.
We find that most of our clients are in the Tech, IT, Finance and Professional Services industries. However, we have acquired the skills, knowledge and experience to help all industries across the globe.
As a private company, we’re not beholden to shareholders or asset-shredding Private Equity targets. We aim to build long-term relationships with our clients. At Agility EOR, our approach is that we never forget that our business is all about people. Our Employer of Record solutions are tailored to each requirement, not a one-size-fits-all tech platform. We do the right thing by our clients and by the laws of each country we operate in. And we believe in openness; if we don’t feel we can offer you the best solution for a specific territory, we’ll say so.
We pride ourselves on our personable-approach so once you enter your new employees details into our dedicated platform, we’ll arrange a call with you to go through the details of the employment contract where together we can review and amend to your requirements. We liaise directly with your employee to build a rapport and obtain the necessary information to hire them compliantly, and set them up ready for their first payroll.
We never stop delivering! Even if you’re employee has been onboarded and is happily working for you and being paid each month, we’re here to partner with you whenever you or your employees need us. Even your ex-employees may need our assistance for tax documents, proof of employment requests etc… Our service never stops!