Is Your FGTS (Brazil’s Severance Indemnity Fund) Really Being Deposited?

É angustiante desconfiar que parte do seu trabalho não está virando direito guardado; vamos entender isso com calma, juntos.

This page is a translation of the original Portuguese text, provided for convenience. It deals with Brazilian law. If there is any discrepancy, the Portuguese version prevails. Read the original in Portuguese

What the FGTS is and why it matters

The FGTS (Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Serviço, Brazil’s Severance Indemnity Fund) is an amount your employer deposits every month into an account linked to you at Caixa Econômica Federal, Brazil’s federal savings bank. This deposit doesn’t come out of your paycheck. It’s your employer’s obligation, calculated on your monthly pay. The idea is to build a reserve that supports you at specific moments in life, such as being dismissed without cause and other situations set out in the law.

If you suspect the deposits aren’t being made, or that they’re smaller than they should be, it’s natural to feel uneasy. The first step is to organize the information so you can understand what’s really going on.

Your rights, in broad terms

Generally speaking, if you have a formal employment relationship, you’re entitled to have your FGTS paid in regularly throughout your entire employment contract. Some of the points usually reviewed include:

• A monthly deposit for the entire period you worked.
• The right to keep track of the balance in your linked account and the deposits made.
• The option to seek correction of deposits that were never made or were incomplete.

Every situation has its own particulars, so it’s worth checking the details of your case before drawing any firm conclusions.

How to start checking

You can begin by reviewing the history of your linked account. Some common ways to keep track are:

• Caixa’s FGTS app, which shows your balance and deposits.
• The statement for your linked account, available through Caixa’s official channels.
• Comparing the recorded deposits with the months you actually worked.

If, when you compare this information, you notice months with no deposit, amounts that don’t match, or blank periods, that’s a sign a closer look is worthwhile.

What to gather for a more reliable review

Pulling your documents together ahead of time goes a long way toward clarifying the situation. It’s usually helpful to organize:

• Your work record booklet (Carteira de Trabalho, paper or digital) with the entries for your employment.
• Pay stubs or payment receipts for the period.
• FGTS statements or screenshots from the Caixa app.
• Any contracts, hiring documents and communications with the company.

With these materials in hand, it’s easier to match the dates you worked against the deposits actually made and spot any gaps. From there, you can more clearly weigh your options for seeking correction.