Complaints of employer pressure in Brazil rise 75% — The Rio Times
In Brazil, the number of complaints about employer pressure related to employees’ electoral choices rose from 1,937 to 3,396 in three and a half days after the second round of the presidential election on October 25, 2026. As The Rio Times reports, by noon on October 29, Brazil’s Labor Prosecutor’s Office (MPT) had received another 1,459 reports, representing an increase of 75%.
Complaints after the vote
These reports concern possible threats, dismissals, or promises of rewards to employees depending on whom they voted for. By the end of the second-round voting day, the MPT had registered 1,937 complaints: 991 were received before the end of the first round, and another 946 between the two rounds.
An MPT lawsuit against Meta mentions social media posts whose authors, according to the prosecutor’s office, urged employers to check employees’ accounts to determine their choice and dismiss supporters of the other candidate. Some posts mocked employees by naming them and displaying their photographs. The highest number of complaints came from the state of São Paulo, with 350, followed by Minas Gerais with 212 and Rio de Janeiro with 169.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Lawsuits and court rulings
As of October 26, the MPT had filed 59 public civil lawsuits, secured 52 court rulings, and reached 53 agreements with employers to stop this practice. On October 29, the prosecutor’s office filed a lawsuit against Meta with the labor court in São Paulo over such posts.
According to the publication, Judge Bruno José Perusso issued an interim injunction on the same day. Meta must remove the relevant posts within 24 hours of receiving notice and, within 72 hours, display a warning to users in Brazil about the prohibition of discrimination and electoral pressure in the workplace. The MPT is seeking 50 million reais from the company as collective compensation.
The second round of the presidential election, according to the cited data from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, was won by incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with 51.79% of valid votes. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro received 48.21%.
