THE 2017 LABOR REFORM – FLEXIBILIZATION OF RULES AND ITS EFFECTS FROM A SOCIAL AND LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The Labor Reform implemented in Brazil in 2017, through Law No. 13.467, brought about a significant restructuring of the regulations governing labor relations. Aimed at modernizing the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), making the market more flexible, and stimulating job creation, the reform altered more than one hundred legal provisions. This article seeks to analyze the impacts of normative flexibilization on the rights of Brazilian workers, identifying the main advances and setbacks resulting from the legal changes. To achieve this, a historical and normative approach is adopted, highlighting the rights gained over the decades and the transformations introduced by the new legislation. The study also examines the arguments in favor of the reform, such as the need to adapt to new labor market dynamics, as well as the criticisms, which point to the weakening of social guarantees and the increase in labor precariousness.The analysis is supported by statistical data and court decisions that illustrate the practical consequences of the reform in the Brazilian context. The conclusion indicates that, although the reform has introduced relevant updates, its effects on worker protection remain controversial, requiring continuous reflection on the balance between economic competitiveness and social justice in labor relations.