A new proposal in Congress suggests shifting the United States toward a 32-hour workweek. Advocates claim the proposal allows workers to gain from productivity advances attributed to artificial intelligence and automation. The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, introduced by independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democratic Representative Mark Takano of California, plans to gradually lower the standard for overtime entitlement from 40 hours a week to 32. The bill aims to prevent employers from decreasing pay or benefits as working hours reduce.
The measure does not mandate U.S. workers to work Monday-to-Thursday specifically. Instead, it proposes altering federal overtime laws, raising the cost for employers to frequently require covered employees to work over 32 hours weekly.
How a 32-Hour Week Would Function
Federal law currently mandates that workers under overtime protection must receive at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours exceeding 40 per week, according to the Department of Labor. The proposed legislation would gradually lower the threshold. It would reduce to 38 hours in the first year, 36 in the second, 34 in the third, and settle at 32 hours. Employers could still request longer hours, but once fully implemented, a worker logging 40 hours would earn eight hours of overtime pay.
The proposal includes national overtime rules based on daily work length. Covered employees would receive time-and-a-half after eight hours and double time after twelve hours in a day. The measure disallows reducing weekly compensation or benefits due to a shorter standard workweek.
However, the bill does not ensure three days off weekly. Businesses could arrange 32 hours over four days but the bill itself doesn’t dictate specific workdays. It also doesn’t apply to all U.S. workers equally. It seeks to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, which already excludes some executive, administrative, and professional workers from overtime, as noted by the Department of Labor.
Push for a Four-Day Workweek
The concept of a shorter workweek has circulated in Congress for years. Takano introduced a similar bill in 2021 and again in 2023. Sanders followed with Senate legislation in 2024, leading to a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on adopting shorter workweeks. Historically, the Fair Labor Standards Act enacted in 1938 initially set overtime beyond 44 hours. It was then reduced to 42 and later to 40 hours. The transition aided in the evolution of federal wage-hour protections.
States have also experimented with this approach. In 2023, Maryland considered a voluntary four-day workweek pilot, offering tax incentives to compliant employers, though it was withdrawn. Washington state’s San Juan County permanently adopted a 32-hour workweek in 2025 after a successful pilot. It reported benefits like less sick leave, increased job applications, and cost savings, despite challenges in scheduling and service coverage.
In 2022, the United Kingdom trialed a 20% hourly reduction without salary cuts, involving 2,900 workers across 61 organizations. The University of Cambridge found a 65% drop in sick days and a 57% decrease in employee turnover, with most employers maintaining reduced hours afterward. This trial was voluntary and did not lead to new laws.
American Views on the Proposal
Proponents assert that technological advancements enable businesses to achieve more with less human labor and believe that workers deserve extra time away from work as a reward. Sanders emphasized that AI and automation should enhance workers’ lives, not merely corporate profits. He argued that, despite significant technological advancements and productivity hikes in the last five decades, workers endure longer hours for less pay amid wealth redistribution benefiting the top 1%. He urged for passing the bill to improve workers’ quality of life.
Opponents argue that reducing workweeks while retaining pay could hike labor costs. During a 2024 Senate hearing, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy warned that businesses might increase product prices, cut hiring, or relocate jobs as a result.
For inquiries, contact Newsweek editors Ben Kelly and Sam Wilson.
Leave a Reply