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A 40-hour workweek has been the standard in the United States since going into effect under the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1940. But legislation introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., seeks to bring about a transformative change in Americans’ work life.
Co-sponsored with Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would move toward a 32-hour standard over four years and lower the threshold for employees to start receiving overtime pay. Per NBC News:
It would also require overtime pay at time and a half for workdays that last more than eight hours and overtime pay that would pay workers double their regular pay if their workday is longer than 12 hours.
At a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing Thursday, Sanders argued that despite technological advances and a huge increase in worker productivity, the economic gains have gone into the pockets of CEOs while workers spend more time at work for the same or less amount of money.
“The question that we are asking today is a pretty simple question: Do we continue the trend that technology only benefits the people on top, or do we demand that these transformational changes benefit working people?” Sanders said. “And one of these benefits must be a lower workweek, 32-hour workweek. This is not a radical idea.”
Support for a 32-hour (or four-day) workweek has gained momentum in recent years. In 2021, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., introduced such a bill in the House, and lawmakers in Massachusetts and Maryland have made similar state-level proposals to experiment with a shortened workweek.
In the United Kingdom, a six-month pilot program for a four-day workweek led to workers reporting lower stress levels and less burnout, as well as improvements in their overall well-being. There was also a substantial drop in resignations during the trial, and “when compared to a similar period from previous years, organisations reported revenue increases of 35% on average - which indicates healthy growth during this period of working time reduction,” the final report said.
Positive results were also borne out from a similar experiment in Valencia, Spain. The program found that workers developed healthier habits with more time to themselves, and fuel emissions decreased as well.
The Senate bill likely faces an uphill battle. At Thursday’s hearing, critics pushed back on a nationwide mandate, and Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., argued on talk radio that “productivity would go down.” (Studies have shown otherwise.)