Seasonal staffing in Brazil does not work the way it does in most markets. There is no general short-term employment contract you can simply offer — temporary work is a defined legal regime with closed grounds, a fixed limit and a required structure.
How the regime works
Temporary work is governed by Law 6,019/1974, as amended by Law 13,429/2017. Workers are employed by a registered temporary work agency and placed with your company. That structure is a legal requirement, not a commercial preference.
Only two grounds are permitted: transitory replacement of permanent staff, and complementary demand for services — where seasonal peaks sit. Contracts run up to 180 days, extendable by a further 90.
This differs from the CLT fixed-term contract, which creates direct employment and has different grounds and limits. Confirm with Brazilian counsel which instrument fits your situation before building the operation — the choice affects your obligations, not just the paperwork.
The calendar is not the one you plan against
Brazilian demand peaks cluster around Black Friday and Christmas, coinciding with the start of summer and school holidays — the opposite of the northern hemisphere. Candidate availability follows that calendar rather than a head-office one.
Because every employer in a region hires in the same weeks, lead time is the main determinant of quality. Starting when the peak is already visible means competing for a pool that has been drawn down.
Use the peak as assessment
By the end of a season you know who showed up daily, who learned fastest and who the operation wants back. That is assessment under real conditions, and no interview produces it.
Companies that plan conversion from the outset start the following cycle with a known, trained base and a smaller hiring requirement. The condition is recording the assessment while it happens rather than reconstructing it afterwards from memory.
