32-hour workweek? Here’s what we know about the proposed legislation

Could a 32-hour workweek become the new standard in the U.S.?

Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) is trying to make it happen. Last year, Takano introduced legislation to reduce the standard workweek by eight hours.

"A shorter workweek would benefit both employers and employees alike,"Takano said in a statement last year."Pilot programs run by governments and businesses across the globe have shown promising results as productivity climbed and workers reported better work-life balance, less need to take sick days, heightened morale, and lower childcare expenses because they had more time with their family and children."

READ THE LEGISLATION: H.R.4728 - Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act

Takano proposed the legislation in July 2021. The act wouldn’t necessarily mean a four-day workweek. Instead, the legislation would "reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours by lowering the maximum hours threshold for overtime compensation for non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)."

Takano says a shorter workweek would also help more to get back into the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic left so many unemployed.

MORE THAN HALF OF EMPLOYEES PREFER MIX OF IN-PERSON, REMOTE WORKING, SURVEY SAYS

According to the New York Times, the idea of a four-day shortened workweek isn't new – but over the years plans have never gone mainstream.

Cosponsors of the legislation include Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton from D.C. The proposal has yet to be heard in the House.

NewsConsumer