Could Thursday become the new Friday?
Just imagine working only 32 hours a week while still receiving the same pay as you would for 40 hours. This is the idea behind a new proposal that could reshape our workweek.
Last week, Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, proposing that this shorter workweek should become the new standard.
Takano said in a media statement,
“Work has fundamentally changed. It’s time that labor standards caught up. I’m proud to continue partnering with Senator Sanders in reintroducing this bill to make sure that the gains from historically high productivity are felt by all American workers.”
New federal bill could gradually drop Chicago’s standard workweek to 32 hours
According to the legislation, the standard workweek would decrease gradually over four years—reducing work hours by two hours each year until reaching 32 hours.
Non-exempt employees would earn time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked beyond this 32-hour limit.
In 2022, a separate pilot trail offered an example of how a voluntary four-day workweek could operate in practice.
The trial—unrelated to the proposed legislation—involved 33 companies and roughly 1,000 employees across the United States, Ireland, and Australia, testing a 32-hour, four-day schedule for six months.
According to The Hill, “The trial instructed employees to work 80% of their regularly scheduled hours in return for 100% of their pay and a pledge to deliver 100% of their standard output.”
Lawmakers have proposed this bill several times over the years, so perhaps it will finally pass this time.
