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Is the word colaborador the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No.

While the spelling and the literal meaning (someone who collaborates) are identical, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazil, "colaborador" has become a widespread corporate euphemism used to refer to "employees" (funcionários), intended to sound more modern and less hierarchical. In Portugal, the word is used much more literally to describe someone contributing to a specific project or task. When referring to a permanent staff member or an employee, a person from Portugal would naturally use funcionário or trabalhador.

Brazilian Portuguese usage (using "colaborador" as a synonym for employee):

  1. Todos os nossos colaboradores devem usar crachá. (All our employees must wear badges.)
  2. O feedback para os colaboradores é essencial para o crescimento da empresa. (Feedback for employees is essential for the company's growth.)
  3. Estamos contratando novos colaboradores para o setor de vendas. (We are hiring new employees for the sales department.)
  4. O bônus será distribuído entre todos os colaboradores. (The bonus will be distributed among all employees.)
  5. Um colaborador do RH vai entrar em contato com você. (An HR employee will get in touch with you.)

Continental Portuguese usage (using "funcionário" or "trabalhador" to express the same idea):

  1. Todos os funcionários da empresa devem usar crachá. (All the company's employees must wear badges.)
  2. O feedback para os trabalhadores é essencial para o crescimento da empresa. (Feedback for the workers is essential for the company's growth.)
  3. Estamos a contratar novos funcionários para o setor de vendas. (We are hiring new employees for the sales department.)
  4. O bónus será distribuído entre todos os trabalhadores. (The bonus will be distributed among all the workers.)
  5. Um funcionário dos RH vai entrar em contacto consigo. (An HR employee will get in touch with you.)