Lei de Cotas: Looking at
the Implementation of
the Brazilian Employment
Quota in São Paulo, Brazil
Anna C. O’Kelly
Case Study Selection
 Emerging Market
 Economic and Employment Growth at
National and Municipal levels
 Strong Legislation
 Importance of understanding impact and
implementation of legislation in Municipal
context
Methodology
 Qualitative research design to analyze
the implementation of country-wide
legislation in the context of a vibrant
municipality
 Respondents
 Law makers
 Managers in private and public sector
 Disabled Employees
 Participation in workshops and meetings
Context
 14.5-15% of Brazilian population
Disabled
 24-25 Million disabled Brazilians
 State of São Paulo: 6,000,000
disabled inhabitants
 2010: 100, 021 Employed (1.67%)
City of São Paulo: 1.5 Million
disabled inhabitants
Relevant Legislation
Lei 8213/91


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
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“Quota Legislation”
Companies of 100-200 Employees: 2%
Companies of 200-300 Employees: 3%
Companies of 300-500 Employees: 4%
Companies of 500+ Employees: 5%
Decreto 8213/99
 Established Enforcement Body for Quota
Quota Legislation
 How Quota is Calculated
 Looks at total number of employees in the company
 Conflicting Laws?
 How it is Enforced – State level
 Superintendência Regional do Trabalho e Emprego
 Branch of Country-level Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego
 Offices located throughout State of São
Paulo
 Heavily concentrated in city of São Paulo
Efforts at National level
 Institutions: Ministério do Trabalho e
Emprego
 Creation of Quota Legislation
 Unequal implementation across country
 2004: 4 of 26 States in Brazil employing no PWDs
 2007: 26 of 26 States in Brazil employing PWDs
 Much of implementation left to State
Efforts at State level
Institutions
 Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego
 Secretaria de Estado dos Direitos da Pessoa com
Deficiência
“Best Performance” in country
 First State to have a Secretaria dedicated to
PWDs
 Economic performance
Efforts at State level
 Impact
 2001: Only 12 companies in State employing 601
PWDs
 2010: 563 companies employing over 100,000
PWDs
 Main Benefit: Financial Resources
 “Real goal is to ensure that rights of
PWDS are being respected. Actual
implementation is at the city level”
Efforts at level of Municipality
Institutions
 Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento
Economico e do Trabalho
 Secretaria Municipal da Pessoa com Deficiência e
Mobilidade Reduzida
 Municipality responsible for implementation of
programs designed at State level
Efforts at level of Municipality
Programa Inclusão Eficiente
 Partnership between Secretaria Municipal de
Desenvolvimento Economico e do Trabalho and
Secretaria Municipal da Pessoa com Deficiência e
Mobilidade Reduzida
 Implemented at Centro do Apoio ao Trabalho
(CAT)
 Primary goal: Sensitize companies and provide
resources
Effort at level of Municipality
 Programa Inclusão Eficiente (cont’d)
 Resources:
 Sem Barreiras
 Other type of Support
 Impact
 18,000 PWDs in Programa Inclusão Eficiente database
 1,000 new positions available everyday
 Continued difficulty filling employer
and employee needs
“Where Will the Quota be in 25
Years?”
 “Because the quota removes barriers today, we won’t
need it in the future.” (Maria Isabel da Silva, Secretaria
da Pessoas Com Deficiencias)
 “Unfortunately, we will still need the Quota. I wish we
wouldn’t. People are overcoming their prejudices, but
we will always need the Quota’s help.” (Bayard
Picchetto, Legal Director at Itautec)