Continuous working day in Portugal: parents and grandparents

A continuous working day would let parents and grandparents shorten the lunch break and leave work earlier, on the same pay. It was one of the measures in the Trabalho XXI labour reform, but the bill was rejected by the Assembly of the Republic on 19 June 2026. In the private sector, the right never came to exist.

This guide explains what the measure promised, who it was for and, more importantly, what you can already request today if you have a child under 12.

What a continuous working day is

A continuous working day is a way of organising the working day. Instead of a long lunch break in the middle, you group the work into a more continuous block, with a short break, and you leave earlier. You do not work fewer hours: you swap the lunch hour for leaving sooner.

This regime already exists for public sector workers (public administration). The labour reform wanted to bring it to private companies too, but it was rejected.

Who it was for, in the proposal

The Trabalho XXI bill set out two groups:

• Parents and grandparents of children up to 12. For the first time, grandparents would be included: today they have no right of this kind.
• Parents and grandparents of children or grandchildren with disability, chronic illness or cancer, with no age limit.

The continuous working day would be by agreement with the company: you would request it, and settle the schedule together.

[Proposal:] this was the wording in the Government's public documents. The bill was rejected in the first general vote on 19 June 2026, so none of it became law.

What you can already request today: a flexible schedule

Even without the continuous working day, today's law already protects parents of young children. It is called a flexible schedule (Art. 56 of the Labour Code). A worker with a child under 12, or, with no age limit, with a disability or chronic illness, can ask to choose the start and end times of the working day, within limits.

How to make the request (Art. 57 CT):

• In writing, 30 days in advance.
• Stating the schedule you want and the period you want it for.
• Declaring that the child lives with you.

The company must reply in writing. If it wants to refuse, it does not decide alone: it has to send your request to CITE for a prior opinion. Without that opinion, the refusal is not valid.

There is also the right to work part time (Art. 55 CT) if you prefer to reduce hours, but in that case the pay falls in proportion to the hours.

Continuous working day and flexible schedule: the difference

[Common reading:] both measures solve the same problem, balancing work and children, in different ways. The flexible schedule changes the start and end times. The continuous working day changes the break in the middle. They can even complement each other.

Where the proposal ended up

• The continuous working day was part of the Trabalho XXI package.
• It was approved in Council of Ministers on 14 May 2026 and sent to the Assembly of the Republic.
• On 19 June 2026, the package was rejected in the first general vote. The process died there.
• On 15 July 2026, the Social Concertation met for the first time after the rejection. The Government keeps the intention to revise labour law, with no timeline and no new text.

With the rejection, nothing changes for private sector workers: the flexible schedule and part time work still apply. The wider package is covered in the guide on the labour reform and dismissals.

What to do now

• Do you have a child under 12? You can already request a flexible schedule today (Art. 56 CT). Do not wait for the reform.
• Make the request in writing, 30 days in advance, and keep proof of sending (registered letter or email).
• If the company refuses without a CITE opinion, the refusal has no value and you can challenge it.
• Need more time off, not just a different schedule? See child assistance leave and parental leave.
• Looking for more flexibility? Check whether you have a right to remote work.
• A grandparent caring for grandchildren? There is still no right of your own to a continuous working day. That point fell with the rejection. Follow the labour reform guide to see if the topic comes back.

This guide explains Portuguese labour law. It does not replace individual legal advice for specific cases. Figures and deadlines updated in July 2026.